Black Dragon, White Rose
by TheDroid2012
Summary: An Elder Dragon finds itself in another world after a fight with an extrange hunter. His fate had more in store, as the new world he is in forces him to adapt and live with the natural enemies of his species: humanity. Though why do some of them have an extra set of ears? Disclaimer: RWBY belongs to Rooster Teeth, the Monster Hunter series belongs to Capcom.
1. Prologue 1

**A.N.: hello there! I hope you all had a great Christmas. I know I said I would do a special for my other story, but I had little to no time to write. I'm surprised I even go this out.**

 **I'm going to try to go for a 1** **st** **person P.O.V. in this story, both to challenge myself and to keep testing my writing skills. If it feels weird or you don't like it, I'll change it back to 3** **rd** **like Faded Fire.**

 **For those that don't know what I'm talking about, this is my 2** **nd** **story, the first one being a DS-RWBY crossover. I'm not an experienced writer, but I'll try my best with this story too.**

 _ **Constructive**_ **criticism is welcomed.**

 **Enjoy!**

 **Black dragon, white rose**

 **Prologue 1**

 **Black Dragon**

/ **? POV** /

Different. I think that word defines my kind quite well. Maybe strange is better. Though, in the end, it comes more to who you ask. The other Elders call us Dark Ones. The Inferiors are only animals, so the first thing they think would be to run or fight, though the latter doesn't usually end well for them. And the Humans call us monsters. Heh, _monsters_. I'm sure there is some kind of irony in that. After all, we aren't the ones that wear their skins as armor…

Well, excluding Fatalis. Those things are out of their mind.

Though, maybe my kind isn't as sane as I would like either. Our first instinct is to go that specific place, that mountain, and spread the Virus through the lands, infecting everything in the territory and propagating our species. It all occurs when one of our kind sheds their skin and 'Ascends', as we have come to call it. After this, our time becomes limited. In the previous form, my kind is almost unaffected by time, but after we Ascend, death inches closer. We still live many years, but not nearly as much as in our first skin.

But I, unlike my sister and brother, don't feel the same. Sure, I still want to go to that mountain, but it is more like a small tug in my mind than a primal instinct. Maybe it's because I was born the weakest of the three of us, or maybe there is another reason. Don't know, and honestly, seeing as how my brother and sister ended because of it, I don't care.

I was born from inside of an Inferior, like all of our kind. The Elders resist our Virus and Humans don't have enough nutrients nor body mass to be hosts. I carved my way through its insides, not caring about the painful death I was giving my host. When I busted out of its chest, the creature was already dead. I fell a few inches to the ground and let my scales and hairs move around where I was, for our kind is blind. Our only way to see is through those means, which are also our way of reproducing.

I found my sister a few seconds later, alongside my brother. We were family because we were born close to each other. Our species lacks the reproductive organs of males or females, so our genres are of our choice and preference. In any case, we didn't care from what kind of Inferior we were born of, but I immediately noticed that I was weaker than them, even if my brother was the smallest of us three. We stayed together, growing and strengthening ourselves. My brother became the leader of our group, as he defeated my sister in combat. I decided not to fight any of them, simply because I was outmatched at that time.

With time, we became more and more powerful and it became clear that, while I still was weaker than any of the two, I was far smarter than any of them. I always had a curiosity they lacked and loved learning new things, alongside finding ways to overcome challenges with my brains rather than my strength. Nevertheless, I trained to become stronger as well, especially after the hunters discovered our presence.

I never cared too much for Humans, not even now, but every time we encountered them, I always found them… interesting. They are weaker and even the Inferiors outnumber them, but they still survive and fight on, expanding their towns and cities. They overcome their weaknesses by thinking and creating, many of those creations using parts from defeated monsters. In a way, they take our strengths and use it against us. But not all of them are like that, as my family and I proved by destroying several villages, simply because they were on our way.

At the time I believed what all Elders believed: that we were the rulers of this world.

…

It wouldn't be long before we were proved wrong.

Our first hunter was, as humans use to say, a joke. He followed my sister as if he was a predator after a prey. She guided him to my brother and me, and together we didn't even leave the ashes of that fool.

A while after that, and a few more victorious encounters against hunters, my brother Ascended. It was something we expected, so he parted ways with a few words. He wasn't the greatest, but we came to care and love each other after spending so many years together. In fact, he could be quite annoying at times, what I think Humans call a 'jerk', but I cared for him nonetheless. My sister and I waited for him to expand our plague with pride…

…

But it never came.

After a few days, we went to the mountain and found his corpse. It was clear that a hunter had killed him. My sister was _furious_. She wanted to destroy every village in the proximity. I would be lying if the idea didn't appeal to me at the time, but I calmed her down, knowing that doing that would only attract more hunters. And maybe one would get lucky and kill one of us. But I wasn't going to let the murderer of my brother go unpunished. If my sister was furious, I was _enraged_.

With one last look at his corpse, a question appeared in my mind: if we are the rulers of this world, then why is my brother _dead_ and in pieces?

Days passed, and thanks to the scent that the parts of my brother left, I found him! The fool that had killed my brother and had used him as nothing more than _materials_ for a new armor. I would have called my sister, but I wanted to kill him myself, so I rained death on the village he was passing the night at. He was unprepared, just as the rest of the people in there. He died fast. _Too_ fast. Someone that harms my family deserves to suffer, so when my teeth ripped his head off his body, a weight was taken of my shoulders, but I also felt extremely disappointed. So I decided to finish what remained of the village, in an attempt to feel better.

And then I _saw_ them.

I don't know how, not even today, but I _saw_. There, in the ruins of a home, two human children hid together. One of my attacks made the house crumble and left them exposed to my wrath. But when I turned my head to face them, it was like a light in a pitch black darkness. I didn't need to use my scales to sense them. There, in front of me, I could see their forms perfectly, covered in a silver light that seemed to come from their eyes and something in the center of their bodies.

I looked around, confused. After a few seconds of checking, I confirmed I still didn't have eyes, which in hind _sight_ should've taken me less to confirm. Heh, my sister used to love a few jokes every now and then.

After that, I turned back to the two humans. One was smaller, hugging the older one, both of them on the floor and in the corner of the room. The taller girl looked at me, and I could see her eyes. While the feelers of my kind allowed us to 'see', it was only the heat and an outline of the things around us, so I didn't know what color was. I still don't, only silver, and I'm not sure how I know that color _is_ silver, I just _do_. And my hairs and scales couldn't get into someone's eyes, so it was also a first for me.

But I didn't need to be an expert to notice the feelings behind those eyes. Fear, sadness, despair. Her terrified gaze looked at the other side of the house for a moment, and then back at me. I focused my feelers on the area she had looked. A corpse laid under the ruins. It was a male and clearly older than the two. I guessed it was the father, but it was just a guess.

I kept 'looking' at the two for a few more seconds, until the smaller one lifted her head from the chest of the older girl, and looked at me. She was even more terrified than the one holding her. I don't know what those eyes and that thing at their chest was, but, somehow, it pulled at the core of my being. The fear in their eyes showed the consequences of my actions.

Well, that and screams of the dying people of the town.

And for the first time, I felt regret for killing Humans. I don't know what those eyes were, but I left the town after that. Those eyes made me curious and scared at the same time.

My sister congratulated me on killing the murderer, but my thoughts still lingered in those two humans. Time passed, more hunters failed to kill us, and I had started to learn of their tactics and weapons. Furthermore, I realized something interesting. They had many objects to heal themselves with, but when one of them fainted by wounds or pain, some of those cat-like things that followed them took them away. If we allowed them to get close, that is.

I also noticed that, if this happened 3 times, the hunters would just stop attacking and retreat. Yep, just like that. No matter the circumstances, when this happened, they always left. If it was the same person the 3 times, some of them would mutter things like 'fucking scrub', 'stop carting' or 'git gud noob'. Even today, I have no idea what they mean, but they never seem too happy at that person when it happens.

With some… experimentation, I came to the conclusion that if I did this, I would attract much less attention than by killing them. Sure, they may return in a later date, but most of them get frustrated and give up easily. My sister still liked to kill them, and I would do so everyone now and then with the more stubborn ones, but the two of us reigned in the steppes unopposed.

Until my sister decided it was time for her to Ascend.

She went to the mountain and started to shed her skin, but an Inferior one took this moment to attack, stopping the transformation before it was complete. I was flying close by and the pained cries of my sister were what caught my attention. When I arrived, what I saw next would always be engraved in my mind: the form of my sister, only partially transformed, trembling in pain and smashing what remained of the Inferior. If I recall correctly, humans called it Zinogre.

She then noticed me, and I could feel the pain she was in. I knew what had happened: during our lives, the three of us encountered several Elders, most of them hostile, others more willing to talk. One of those willing to talk was old enough to remember the story of our ancestors. When we found him, or better, when _he_ found _us_ , we didn't need to speak to him to know he was old and wise. If he wished, he could have killed us three in the spot, but he didn't. Instead, he was willing to talk with us. During part of that talk, as a warning, he explained what my sister would go through later: when an Ascension is interrupted, the one going through it comes out malformed and in pain. The Ascension could still be completed, but only if the one going through it didn't became mad before that.

With that in mind, I tried to calm my sister, but she was in so much pain that she ended up attacking me. She realized this and decided to fly away, as to not harm me anymore. After that, I tried to find her, without luck. I did find her a few days later, but she was in so much pain that she barely recognized me when she sensed me, so I decided to leave her alone, seeing as how I couldn't calm her down, at least at the moment.

Hunters were sent after her, but even in her state, she still was able to crush all of them. I tried returning to her several times, but even if I managed to be by her side for a time, she couldn't finish the transformation because of the pain. I still go visit her every now and then, to try and help her, but no matter how hard I try, she hasn't been able to change. The only thing I can do is keep her sanity, at least part of it.

I searched for the same Elder that explained us our past. When I found him, he told me that he couldn't do anything about it, that only my sister could save herself, but it was only a very small chance that it would happen. Before I left, something came to my mind, and I asked him about the silver eyes I saw. He was surprised that I asked him that, so I explained him what I saw. He told me that those with silver eyes were destined to be great hunters and that they have been protecting humanity ever since the era of the Ancients ended. They had powers that even him feared, but he couldn't recall much more, only that it is able to send monsters 'away from this world'.

I didn't got what I wanted, but I thanked him for the information nonetheless. Most Elders dislike each other, so having one so willing to talk was something I appreciated. He told me that at first he only talked with us out of boredom, but that in the end, he liked the curiosity in which I viewed the world, and apologized for not having anything to help my sister. With that I left back to the steppes. Later I discovered the name the humans had given him: Dalamadur, the Serpent King Dragon.

Heh. Fitting.

Time passed, and I grew even stronger. Any challengers that passed through the steppes, be it Inferiors, Humans and even some Elders, were defeated, one way or another. I allowed the hunters to kill the infected Inferiors, simply because I didn't care if I had offspring or not. I knew there were more of my kind around. And letting them do this made it look like hey still held _some_ control over the area, making them leave me alone most of the time. They learnt that trying to send a hunter or a group of them after me was pointless, or suicidal, if I was in a bad mood.

I decided not to Ascend, simply because my family and their results had given me enough reasons to not do so. With time, I learnt more and more about humans: how they lived, their technology and many things more. They have a way to give their words physical form by 'writing', though it is quite difficult to understand without having sight. Still, with the years I have been able to have a good grasp at their language. Not that I can speak it, but it makes me able to understand them and makes it easier to defeat any hunters that try to kill me.

I also discovered the name they have given my kind: Gore Magala. Credit where credit is due, as Humans say, they have a knack for names.

I became the undisputable king of the steppes. With time, the Hunter's Guild, the organization that coordinated the hunters, gave me what they call a 'nickname': the Dark Ruler of the Steppes. I honestly don't care too much about what they call me, as long as they leave me alone. I'm no fool, I know that, while I am strong, if a competent group of hunters were to face me, I most probably will end up dead. I've seen what a well-coordinated group of hunters can do, and they are not to be underestimated. I've seen them kill some of the strongest Elders in record time, and it would be downright suicidal to think I could stop them.

Luckily, I don't attack villages anymore, for obvious reasons. So, while some hunters still try to kill me, most of the time they pay me no mind, seeing as how I pose no danger unless someone steps into my territory. In fact, some hunters send their apprentices and rookies into the steppes as a test of sorts: if they manage to reach the nest at the end of the territory without me catching them, they pass. As far as I know, this is nothing official, only something the veterans do to have some fun.

I take advantage of this by actually stalking and chasing them. With my Virus everywhere around is pretty easy to keep myself hidden and always know where they are, so scaring them out of their skin is pretty easy. And fun. _Definitely_ fun. So I play along: I let most of them through, though not without chasing them until I feel like it. And it always brings a smile to my face to scare the overconfident ones.

With all these experiences, my feelings towards Humanity are… complicated. In a way, I respect them for their will to survive and move forward. When they find an obstacle in their way, they use it to learn and become stronger. Still, they took away my brother and walk around as if the world belonged to them and only them. One thing is clear now: it does no longer belong to us Elders. But humanity doesn't own it either, so I guess the world has no more rulers, for now.

Is this what Humans call 'philosophy'? If so, it is a very good way to fight boredom, though I see no other use for it.

Turning back to reality, I stretch my legs and raise from the nest I was resting in. It used to belong to some of those annoying bipedal Inferiors, but I killed them when they started being too noisy for me to sleep. It's the perfect place to relax, with the roots acting as cover for the sun and being in the middle of the steppe. A small scan with my scales told me that there were no intruders for now, so I started walking towards the river close by.

While walking, I stretched my wings and my second pair of claws in them. I reached the river without trouble, and when the herbivore Inferiors drinking in it saw me, they ran away as fast as they could. Not that it would do them any good, seeing as how I would track them later for breakfast.

After doing that, I thought that I may go and hide near the village close by and see what the Humans there were doing. It's a good way to kill time and to notice if any hunter has decided to take up a mission to kill me.

My train of though was interrupted as my scales detected three people entering the steppes. By the clothes they were wearing, it was clear they were hunters. Strange. If any of them are brave enough to come here, they do it in groups of four. Maybe they aren't here for me? In any case, I will keep an _eye_ on them just to make sure.

…

I seriously need to stop doing those when nobody can hear me.

 **A.N.: fair warning: I know not** _ **everything**_ **in this prologue is lore-friendly, but the Gore and Shagaru Magala are less expanded upon than I would like, and this is part-AU, so while you won't see English-speaking dragons, they will communicate between themselves. Most of the facts in this story are from lore discussions on different pages and from in game dialog, so I apologize for anything that may not be right.**

 **There will be another prologue and then we'll go into the main story. I'll try to keep the A.N.s short and clear, at least more than in my previous story.**

 **Read and review!**

 **Have a great day!**


	2. Prologue 2

**A.N.: hello there! Second part of the prologue. Nothing much to say, only that I hope you like it.**

 **Again,** _ **constructive**_ **criticism is welcomed.**

 **Enjoy!**

 **Black Dragon, White Rose**

 **Prologue 2**

 **White Rose**

 **/ Summer Rose POV /**

 _*Crunch* *Crunch* *Crunch*_

The only sound in the forest were the steps Qrow and I made while we walked. This would be creepy and disturbing for normal people. It was at first, making us be on guard the whole way. I mean, not even the Gods-dammed wind made a sound! It send chills down my back!

For the first 15 minutes, that is.

Then it just became awfully _boring_! We hadn't encountered a soul, not even Grimm, and we had been walking for hours!

"We have only been walking for 45 minutes, Sum." Qrow told me with a chuckle.

I don't care! It still felt like hours! Why hadn't the bullhead dropped us closer? I mean, sure, this zone was labeled extremely dangerous for the amount of Grimm and the hazardous terrain, but we hadn't see anything on our way here! I'm sure they could have spared some more Dust and dropped us closer.

Well, at the very least, I was not alone. I had Qrow! He is always fun to hang out with, even if his Semblance could be a little bit bothersome. But it isn't _that_ bad!

…

Okay, it can be a pain in the ass sometimes. But, still! Qrow is a great guy and my teammate, and there is no other human or Faunus that I would rather have helping me with this mission! Well, except Tai… or Raven. Any of them three are great! We are all a team that graduated from Beacon. No, we are the _best_ team to ever grace that school with our presence! Go team STRQ!

…

*sigh*

At least, we were.

"Everything okay, Sum?" I turned to Qrow, who had moved beside me while I was lost in thought.

"Yeah…" I answered. "Just… thinking about old times." I smiled.

It wasn't hard for him to notice my mood, so he smiled and raised his eyebrows. "Oh? You mean that time you told me the skirt in the girl's uniform at Beacon was a kilt, and that I had to wear it to class?"

That day came to my mind and I couldn't help but let a snigger and cover my mouth with my hand. I still don't know how he believed it, even Raven didn't buy it and she hadn't seen a school uniform in her life either! It was hilarious! I still have pictures of that day in my scroll, even if Qrow wanted me to delete all of them.

And, no! It's not blackmail! It's just a way to make sure Qrow does whatever I want without him complaining!

… Okay, it's blackmail. But it's just so much fun to see the face he makes when I mention them!

While I mused in my mind, Qrow continued. "Or maybe that time you convinced Raven to open a portal in the middle of the girl's bathroom and for Tai to push me in?" He glared at me without malice. "Every girl in Beacon wanted my head on a plate for a week, Sum. A _week_!" He sighed and rubbed his temples. "Even Glynda couldn't look at me for more than a couple of seconds before turning her head around in shame!"

*pfft*

I couldn't hold it anymore! The image of an 18 year-old Qrow running from a group of flustered and angered girls was too much!

"Hahahahahahahaha!" I broke down in laughter and fell to the ground. "A-and the l-look in Ozpin's face…"

I just couldn't stop laughing as Qrow grumbled and crossed his arms. A couple of minutes passed and I recovered myself from my outburst. I extended my hand out but Qrow just looked away, ignoring me.

"C'mon, don't be like that. It's just a joke. You know I care about you." I said with a smile.

He sighed but I could notice a faint smile on his face as he picked me up. "Yeah, yeah. As long as you keep those puppy eyes away from me." I dusted myself off while he kept talking. "I swear Ruby has inherited them and is mastering the technique to perfection."

The mention of my daughter brought a small pain to my heart. My little rose. I love her and Yang above all else. That's why I keep doing this, why I keep going out on missions. Remnant is dangerous and if I can make it just a little bit safer for them, then I will. Besides, I'm a huntress and my job is to help people and save them from the Grimm or whatever threat tries to harm the innocent.

I know Tai is with them. He is a great dad, even after Raven left. He tries his best to be with them and always makes them smile. The moments we spend together are something I'll always cherish, especially when I'm away from them in a mission. They are the ones that remind me that coming back alive from a mission _is_ the reward.

Qrow landed a hand on my shoulder. "Everything's gonna be fine, Sum. We'll make it back and you'll be cooking cookies for the little cookie monster before you can say 'Grimm'"

I smiled back at him and nodded. "You're right. Let's keep going."

We kept walking for a few more minutes, and the path of the forest began to twist and turn more and more. The terrain stopped being plain and the trees, along the road under our feet, swiveled up and down, with more rocks and bushes appearing close to the road.

I began recalling the mission we had taken. Supposedly, a town away from the kingdom of Mistral had requested help a couple of months ago, saying that the Grimm activity had been rising up and that they feared an attack from the beasts. More worryingly though was that Leonardo had reported that the Spring Maiden had recently ran off away from the city and her training, and she was last spotted heading towards this town.

Of course, the huntsmen and huntresses that took this mission were not informed about the last part. They simply thought this was a common 'Clean up' mission: go to the town, kill the Grimm around it and return back to Mistral. The problems began when Mistral sent huntsmen after huntsmen only for none of them to come back.

Rumors started leaking and huntsmen stopped attempting to take on the mission. Seeing this, Leonardo called Ozpin for help, and he agreed. He called in a few of his best, and I was one of the first to answer. Tai didn't want me to go, but Qrow convinced him, on the condition that the old bird accompanied me on the mission. It was Qrow, so I trusted him to have my back. With that, I said goodbye to Tai and the girls, promising Ruby that I would come back.

The old Headmaster didn't want me to take the mission, but he relented after a few minutes of discussion. Still, what he told both of us was worrying.

" _Be careful, both of you."_ He said. _"This has Her signature all over the place. Leo and I knew many of the huntsmen and huntresses that have gone to that town, and none of them would fall to simple Grimm. If this is her work, which I'm inclined to belive it is, there's no telling what she may be planning."_

I remember the look on his face turning somber in his next words. _"Please, don't make me regret letting you go to this mission, Ms. Rose. I don't want to be the bearer of bad news to your husband and your daughters."_

Why does everyone talk to me as if I couldn't defend myself!? Sure, I have gone through the birth of Ruby, but that doesn't make me weaker or impaired! Honestly, sometimes they treat me as if I was made of glass! I can take care of myself, I'm a huntress, thank you very much!

In any case, I took the mission and I plan on finishing it! I know there may not even be a town when we arrive, but I still have hope. Maybe they have a bunker and some survivors are hiding there! Many towns have them in case Grimm or bandits attack. Maybe they have escaped and reached another town!

It may seem hopeless, but if we lose hope, then how are we going to help others?

Our mission may be 'Search and destroy', but I'm not giving up hope! If we find any survivors, Qrow and I will help them reach safety and deal with whatever has been causing trouble here in Mistral!

"Yeah, nothing will stop us!" I shouted, as I pulled Qrow close to me.

Qrow, on the other hand, was startled and started coughing the alcohol that he was drinking from his flask. "Summer, what the *cough* hell!?"

"It's alright, you big dum-dum." I answered. "I was just saying that we will finish this mission without breaking a sweat, right?"

He chuckled and stored his flask back in his pocket. While I was worried at first when he started drinking, he has proven to be responsible with it, especially in front of the girls, so I let him drink, knowing that he won't get drunk. "Sure, Sum. Can you let me go now?"

"Sure!" I released him and we kept walking. Seriously, his path seemed endless!

"So," began Qrow, "Ruby's birthday is coming up. Are you going to throw a party like the rest of the years?"

I smiled. "Of course. She deserves it, and I've already got her a present." She wanted to have a couple of toy guns to play with Yang. "Have you thought about what you are going to get her?"

Qrow hummed. "Last year I gave her that videogame that she wanted. I'm still thinking of a way to beat that."

I giggled, remembering how he would lose willingly to make Ruby and Yang happy. "I'm sure you'll find a way. You are their super-uncle, after all."

He brought his hands behind his head, with a smug smile plastered on his face. "That, I am."

As I was about to retort, I felt my feet tripping with something on the badly maintained path. Luckily, I reacted fast enough and moved my other feet in front as to stop my fall…

Only to have it land on a pile of dog shit and slip, making me fall face first onto the ground, with my white hood falling over my head. I shook my head and turned to glare at Qrow, who was laughing his ass off at the antics of his Semblance.

"Look whose Semblance is acting up again." I said as I rose from the ground and cleaned myself. "How the hell is a pile of dog poo in the middle of nowhere!?"

I pulled my hood away while Qrow wiped a tear of his eye. "Oh, that was great! I should've taken a picture!"

I glared at him and growled. A thought came to mind and I turned my frown into an innocent and not-at-all suspicious smile. Qrow quickly realized the change of my mood and gave me a questioning look. "Sum, why are you smiling?"

I shrugged. "Oh, you know…" I turned around and kept walking forward, while Qrow moved quickly to my side.

"No, I don't." He was starting to panic. _Good_. "C'mon, Sum, it was just a good laugh. Nobody got hurt and only I saw it."

My smile didn't waver while I answer. "That's the thing, my dear Qrow. Nobody laughs at the Queen Prankster and lives to tell the tale~"

He gulped and looked at me with fear. _I had him_. "Heh, heh. You're joking, right, Sum?"

I didn't answer as I kept walking forward. He always acted so cool and tough, but he was really easy to have fun with once I traumat- I mean, _pranked_ him enough to make him know why it wasn't a good reason to laugh at me.

His pleading continued until we reached an intersection in the path and stopped. In front of us was a signpost with two plates pointing at the two divergent paths. The one of the right was too damaged to read, but the left one had the name of the town that we were heading to: Hikari.

I turned to Qrow, his acting gone, replaced by a stern look and a serious expression. He looked at me and we both nodded to each other. We started running towards our destination, set on finding out what happened and helping whoever needed us. We are huntsmen and this is what we do at the end of the day: protect Remnant.

Some do it for fame, glory or Lien. Other simply want to be strong enough to defend themselves rather than the rest. And others, like me or Qrow, do it because it's the right thing to do and to protect our loved ones. We do it for Remnant, for our families and friends.

For Ruby and Yang.

 **A.N.: this two prologues are shorter than what the main chapters will be. For those that have read my other story, you know that I try for them to be between 7k to 8k long.**

 **Emphasis on try, as many times I end up with 10k.**

 **In any case, that's all for now.**

 **Have a great day and happy 2019!**


	3. Chapter 1: Wounds of Silver

**A.N.: hello there! Welcome to the first (official) chapter of Black Dragon, White Rose! The two prologues got a great welcome from your part, so thank you. I wasn't expecting such a great welcoming, so I'll try to keep it up and write a story you can all enjoy.**

 **One thing I want to leave clear: Gore's height is that close to a gold crown, making him one of the biggest of his kind and the taller of his family. He has been living, growing and learning for many years, and without transforming into a Shagaru, he just kept at it.**

 **I forgot to put the disclaimer on the other chapters, so I'll update the description as to not have to do it in every chapter. But, in case it wasn't obvious, I do not own RWBY nor Monster Hunter.**

 **Constructive criticism is welcomed!**

 **Enjoy!**

* * *

 **Black Dragon, White Rose**

 **Chapter 1**

 **Wounds of Silver**

 **/ Gore P.O.V. /**

These three intruders were definitely hunters. Their armors and weapons confirmed my first guess. Strangely enough, their equipment wasn't as good as the ones that humans used to try and hunt me. It was robust, yes, but not strong enough to withstand most of my attacks. Add to that their relatively basic weapons, and I instantly knew something didn't fit.

After they walked for a few minutes, I used the natural cover to keep myself hidden and listen to their conversation. They were searching for tracks and, while they kept themselves ready, they failed to spot me.

"I still don't like this." Said the one at the front. He wielded one of those heavy Greatswords. Powerful, but easy to dodge. "We aren't ready to face that thing. We shouldn't have taken that mission from her."

The woman behind him groaned. "Will you just shut up already? I swear you are a fucking coward, William." She had a heavy Bowgun on her back and her armor didn't cover enough to be properly protected. I still didn't understand why most human females wore that, but it worked, and I wasn't going to ask how.

The last one of the group, a male with Dual Blades spoke. "We're already here, so it would be best if we just did this as quickly as possible." He seemed to be the most mature and calm of the three. That, and his weapons were going to be a _pain_ to deal with, I just knew it, even if they were too weak to do proper damage to me. "We don't even have to hunt that thing, only mark it."

"Still, this is extremely dangerous! The guild has classified it as a G-rank and all of the missions to hunt it are prohibited unless you are in a group of four!" That seemed to get the attention of his two friends, and mine too. G-rank, huh? That much of a threat and in my territory? Most surely, it was me. That classification brought problems of its own, but I'll deal with it later.

"What!? When did they change it!?" Asked the woman.

The first man, William, turned around. "I overheard one of the veterans talking about it. He was planning on gathering a team and try hunt it, but he hadn't found anyone willing to go for now."

"Why didn't you tell us!?" Roared the woman. She then turned to the other man. "Tyrum, we have to go _now_! We don't even have equipment to face the high-ranks, much less a G!"

Tyrum shook his head. "We are already here. We find it, we mark it and we leave. Let's stick to running rather than fighting. She is the one that will take care of that."

"She's not fucking ready, Tyrum! You saw her!" Shouted the woman. "The Gore will kill her as soon as it sees her, and that sword she carries will make a great toothpick for her bones!"

Before they could keep shouting, Tyrum beat them to it. "Enough! We'll use the paintball and leave! What happens to her next is not our concern! Or you can back out and I'll take all of the payment for myself! So?" He crossed his arms. "What's it gonna be?"

The other two looked at each other and sighed. "We need the money and Lima needs to upgrade her armor." Tyrum nodded and the three proceeded forward.

So, mark me and run? Yeah, we'll see about that. Luckily, if I down these three, I'll spare myself from the last one. I was thinking on visiting sis today, so the sooner I deal with them, the sooner I can be with her.

After a few more minutes, they arrived at my nest. Normally, they would be greeted by those small Inferiors, but I forced them away from the steppes long ago. The place was almost completely covered in my Virus and I knew how to move through it perfectly. They just gave me the advantage, and they didn't even notice.

Well, this is going to be easy.

I jumped down behind them, making sure to make noise when I landed. The three turned to look and went wide eyed at seeing me. I smiled. _Way too easy_. I roared and made my scales and hairs in the environment swirl around us. They took a few steps back and I moved forward slowly. While I don't find pleasure in hurting humans, I _do_ find it fun to scare them.

They weren't afraid enough to run, though, and the two men unsheathed their weapons. They were more boys than men by human standards, but that didn't matter. "Lima, now!" Shouted the one with the Dual Blades, Tyrum.

The girl nodded and, while her aim was a bit off due to her trembling, the ball of pain flew straight at me. I didn't attempt to dodge it. Why would I? This would end shortly. After that, the girl readied her weapon. Even without eyes I could feel they were trembling and afraid.

Nonetheless, the Blades wielder spoke. "Will, go left and climb up the roots, then jump and mount it. I'll distract it while Lima gives me cover. When you down it, we run like hell, got it?"

The two of them nodded and the one with the Greatsword sheathed it and prepared to run. Distract me, mount on my back and make fall to run away?

Heh, yeah, how about… **no**.

I immediately jumped to the one named William. He didn't expect it and attempted to roll away. I followed him and, just as he looked behind to face me, I swatted him away with one of my paws. I felt the shots of the gunner on my wing and prepared a concentration of Virus in my mouth. Just then, the remaining hunter moved to my tail and started slashing with his blades.

I turned my head and fired the ball of Virus to her. It wasn't too fast, so she was able to jump to the right. Directly into the second ball I had launched. As she screamed in pain, I turned my whole body and faced the Dual Blades hunter. He wasn't expecting me to be that quick, so the last charge of my Virus got him without problem.

The Greatsword wielder chose this time to strike at the side of my head. With a blade that dull, it would have bounced off. Instead, I allowed the strength and weight behind the sword push my head. I pulled back at the last second and the blade embedded itself on the ground. I reacted quicker than him and grabbed the edgeless side of the blade with mi teeth, taking it away from its wielder. I turned my head to the other side and threw the heavy weapon away. When I turned back to the man, he laughed nervously and gulped. Before he could move away, I charged, dragging him with my head up to the pillar in the area and crashing him against it. He fainted immediately.

A barrage of shots hit my back. "You son of a bitch!" I turned to face the gunner, now accompanied her partner. The man ran towards me and dodged left as my claws failed to get him. It's at these moments that I'm glad to have hands on my wings. To his surprise, my wing extended and grabbed him, making him drop one of his blades. I turned to the gunner and she seemed to read my thoughts.

That didn't mean she was fast enough to react, though.

I threw her partner right at her with all my strength. She attempted to dodge but the body of the boy collided with her head and sent the two of them rolling away. I checked the girl shortly after: she was knocked unconscious by the hit and I could sense those little cats already taking the Greasword wielder away. That only left one and I turned to face him. He was struggling to get up from the floor and I could feel that my throw had broken one of his legs.

With his free hand, he reached to his pouch and brought out a small container with green liquid in it. A potion. _Not on my watch_. I jumped to him and landed my claw on him and pressed against the ground. He let out a shout of pain and let go of the small flask. I lifted my claw and grabbed him with my wingarm.

I moved him right in front of my face just as he spoke. "Are you going to kill me now, you ugly son of a bitch?" What is with humans and insulting others? Do they feel better when they do it? Food for thought, but later. I had more pressing problems.

I felt the cats take the woman away in a cart and was about to smash this guy to the ground when a voice stopped me. "Hey, you!" I turned around and _saw_ her. That silver light was unmistakable. There in front of me, was a woman with Silver Eyes and a light of the same color emanating from them and from her body.

Under a closer look, I noticed something interesting. She looked a lot like the older sister from that village, the one where the murderer of my brother hid. In fact, it _was_ the same girl. What was she doing here? I also noticed something strange: the sword she was carrying seemed to emanate the same light, only weaker.

"Leave now!" The boy in my hand grunted. "It will kill you!"

The girl was afraid, just like that day on her village, but I could also see her determination. She wanted something, and she wasn't going to stop until she achieved it. The human will, their most powerful weapon. Her hands trembled slightly, but she kept staring at me with bravery. She was _not_ going to run, but that would change when I downed the boy in my hand, as it always did.

"Didn't you hear me!?" The boy struggled under my grip. "Go! Run before-"

I didn't let him finish as I stomped him on the ground, making him pass out. I released him and relaxed. With those three out, she should have no reason to remain here. I retracted my wing back and stared at her for a few seconds. She was startled by what I had just done, but she still didn't run away. Weird, but I had no time for this. I turned around and moved under a hole between the roots to fly off.

"Where do you think you're going!?"I turned around to see the woman charge at me with her sword high and her shield ready. Why? She should have already left. Well, if she wants to get her ass handed to her, who am I to say no?

…

I still don't know how 'handing her ass' means to beat someone, but at this point, I'm not surprised at the weirdness of humans.

She swung at my face but it was quite easy to dodge. She used the same style than the rest of Sword and Shield users, but her attacks were sloppy and weak. It was like she had never used a weapon before. Nonetheless, I dodged the next swing aimed at my claw. That sword resonated with the same energy as her eyes and it seemed dangerous.

She miscalculated her next attack and almost fell. I took this chance to fire my Virus at her. She was surprised, but managed to cover herself with the shield she carried. She still went skidding a few feet backwards and I charged at her. She rolled to the side and tried to slash at my wing, but I moved away before she could.

She looked at me and closed her eyes, steading her breath while doing so. She opened them and charged back at me with a war cry. She was completely determined to hunt me. I, on the other hand, was just losing my patience. The cats had already taken the last hunter and she was definitely no match for me, so this was just _boring_.

Before she reached me, I tried to stomp her down to end this, only for her to dodge to the side and slash at my right claw. I expected the sword to bounce and make her lose her footing, or at the very least, to slide across my skin as if nothing happened.

What I didn't expect was for it to actually _hurt_.

I took a step back and looked at my hand: a horizontal cut was now marking it. What I found most worrying, though, was the fact that it had gone through my outer skin _and_ the one that we have when we Ascend, drawing blood. How!? The wound itself was nothing, but what it implied was problematic, to say the least.

I turned back to look at her and she was _smiling_. It was weak, but it showed how much this small, insignificant victory meant to her. Meanwhile, several questions ran through my mind: what is that sword, how did she get it, can only people with Silver eyes use it, what can it cut through? After a few more seconds I shook my head and calmed down. I needed to know more about that sword, but I had almost no information on it.

Then a thought struck me: I could take the sword to Dalamadur and ask him. If anybody knows something about it, it's him. But first, I had to take care of its wielder.

And if she wasn't going to 'play nice', as humans say, then neither was I.

I smiled, turned around and started running to the wall of the area. She stiffened and ran after me. "I'm not going to let you run away!" She shouted. Oh, but I wasn't running away, just guiding you where I wanted.

I reached the wall, with her close behind and started climbing the wall. Before she could react, I turned my head at her and used my wingarms to stick myself to the wall, before pushing away with all my strength. She went wide-eyed and attempted to dodge, but I was simply too big for her to scape my reach. And so, when I reached her, I used my wounded claw to pin her to the ground with all my weight. Her sword left her hand and landed close to where I held her.

She shouted in pain as I heard some of the bones in her right arm, where she carried the shield, crack and break. She opened her eyes and looked at me, and this time, it was _me_ who was smiling. Maybe I could take her to Dalamadur too, but if she were to scape or attempt to kill any of us…

Well, now that I thought of it, trying to fight him and me at the same time _wouldn't be_ a great idea.

While I kept looking at her, she moved and grunted in pain. She looked back up to me and frowned. Then, a single tear fell from one of her eyes. She closed them and spoke. "I'm sorry, sis. I'll see you on the other side."

With that, she managed to reach for her weapon and, in a quick motion, stab me in the armpit. And it _hurt_. _A lot_. I still had her pinned, though, but she didn't seem to care as she chanted something strange. "For it is in passing that we achieve immortality." She begun.

"Through this, we become a paragon of virtue and glory to rise above all." Her eyes started glowing and the sword shined with them. But I wasn't just going to let her stab me and walk away like nothing ever happened. I began charging my Virus and aimed my head at her.

"Infinite in distance and unbound by death." While she continued speaking, I charged more and more my Virus. In the almost impossible scenario that she survived the pure, raw power behind my attack, the remaining concentration of my Virus would kill her in a few minutes.

"I bind your soul, and by my sword smite thee!" She finished her chant just as I finished charging my attack. The light grew more and more and I released my breath.

And then everything went white.

* * *

When I started recovering my senses, I realized I was lying on the ground, but unlike the one at my nest, this was completely made of rock. I grunted and tried to stand while my scales and hairs moved around. I soon realized I was on a cave, in a room with a small pool of water that flowed from the wall in a little waterfall. The room had one exit only and a small hole on the ceiling, too small for even a human to use.

Still, I could feel the sunlight on my skin. I placed my wounded claw on the ground and felt the pain under it. It was then that I discovered that the sword was still stuck on me. It hurt, but I had gone through much worse and I could still use my leg. Looking around, I failed to find the hunter. Instead, I found a trail of blood going to the exit of the room.

I followed quickly while my feelers scanned the cave. It was bigger than I thought, with several rooms: one with an underground lake, another full of some type of moss and more. But the most interesting one was filled with a strange mineral on the walls and ceiling. I couldn't focus on it right now, as I neared the exit of the cave.

I turned the corner and, right before the exit, the girl limped away from where I came. Hearing a sound inside the cave, she turned and a look of fear took hold of her face. She tried to walk faster but I could already sense what lied beyond the exit. The cave was up in a cliff and the only way down was through a very deep fall.

So while she ran, I simply walked towards her. She was panting and I could see that her right arm was broken and she was bleeding from several cuts on her body. Nothing too grave, but painful. When she reached outside, she used her hand to cover her eyes from the sun, and failed to notice a small stone in her way.

She tripped and fell to the ground. She looked behind herself and when she saw me approaching, she dragged herself closer to the edge while she kept looking at me. A few more seconds and her hand reached the end of the ground. She noticed and turned to try and find a way down, failing to do so while I drew closer.

With a calmed walk, I reached her. Suddenly, with my weight, cracks appeared around on the floor, a couple of them surrounding the girl. We both looked at them and then at each other. The same though appeared in our heads, and while I smiled she looked even more terrified.

A few tears escaped her eyes. "Please, don't…" Where had all that determination gone, I wonder? Maybe because she though she survived and now she couldn't scape? I didn't know, and, at this point, I was way past mercy.

I growled and inched closer. She had sent hunters against me, managed to wound me and left a sword on my chest, something that I would have to deal with later. But the worst part was…

That she had slightly inconvenienced me.

Before she could utter another word, I raised my arms and brought them down in front of me. The rock cracked and broke around where she laid. After one last scared look at me, the rocks separated completely and she fell with a scream to the forest below. I lost track of her under the trees and the rocks that fell with her.

Instead of roaring in victory, I simply huffed. Good riddance, bitch.

…

Nah, I didn't feel better. I guess insults are not for everyone.

In any case, with that dealt with, I could now concentrate on where I was and how to get back to the steppes. I allowed my scales to expand in the forest underneath and waited. While I sensed many animals of different kinds, some of which were rarely seen on the steppes, I didn't found a single Inferior or human.

This worried me, as the Inferiors were numerous, especially the herbivores and the smaller ones. But as I allowed my sense to expand and gather more information, it came across some strange creatures.

At first, I thought they were some kind of Inferior that I hadn't seen before, but as my feelers sensed more of these creatures, I realized that they were not Inferiors. They felt… wrong. They emitted almost no heat, as if they were dead, and they all shared similar traits, like bone masks covering their faces and spikes on different parts of their bodies.

This spiked my curiosity, but if I was going to go down there, I needed to take care of the sword in my armpit. I couldn't reach it with my mouth, so I used my left claw to grasp it and pull. To my surprise, the sword didn't bulge an inch, and when I tried harder, it only caused me more pain. I could already feel the wound there and in my hand closing, but with the sword still inside, it wasn't going to heal fully.

Maybe throwing the only person I knew could wield it off a cliff _wasn't_ such a good idea.

Since that wasn't going to move from there for a while, I moved my arm around. It was uncomfortable, but I could still fight if needed. With that settled, I let myself fall of the cliff and extended my wings. The cliff where the cave was settled was part of a mountain that reached quite high and was covered in trees, at least the part that I had managed to sense.

Flying fast through the sky, I reached one of the creatures quickly. There were others closer to the cave, but this one was alone and away from others, even if it was slightly bigger than the ones that travelled on packs. I landed close to the creature and it turned to me immediately. And just like the Silver Eyed humans, I could see this creature, although much differently: it was as if its form was leaking darkness and the only things that weren't black were its eyes and the symbol on the head. As I said before, it felt _wrong_.

The creature looked at me, as if it didn't know what to do. I used this confusion to move around the creature slowly, analyzing it to the detail. It looked like one of those Inferiors that the humans called Arzuros. I think that was its name. Still, this one was smaller and it appeared to have some strange spikes coming out of its back.

It kept its gaze on me, but none of us made any moves against each other. Or so it thought. While I examined it, I allowed my hairs to enter its body. I wanted to see if my Virus affected these creatures and if I could use it to my advantage.

The Virus did affect it, though much quicker than any other I had seen, making the creature convulse, spit black breath and become frenzied. This would be dangerous for anybody else, but the Virus stops the frenzied from attacking us directly. We can't control them, but at the very least allows us to make most Inferiors ignore us.

The strange creature started attacking everything in sight except me: trees, plants and even one of its own that had moved close to us. The two fought, but the infected one killed the other thanks in part to the surprise of its own kind trying to kill it. A few seconds afterward, the infected one started spitting and convulsing again, dying shortly after.

The strange chain of events didn't end there, as the two bodies started vanishing into the air, leaving nothing behind. I was completely dumbfounded. It all happened in the span of a few minutes, when a normal Inferior would take _days_ to die by the Virus. Plus, I've never seen anything just… vanish into thin air right after it died!

I sighed. This just kept getting weirder. I focused again on scanning mi surroundings and found that many of the creatures were heading quickly towards a specific direction, almost as if they were running from something. No, it felt more like they were running _to_ something. And the amount that was gathering was nothing short of a wave of those creatures. To have something attract this many beings, it must either be their prey or some kind of master.

Whatever the case, I may find some more answers if I follow them. I extended my wings and jumped to the air, following the black mass of beasts under me.

* * *

 **/ Summer Rose P.O.V. /**

Another slash with Thorn made the Beowolf head fall to the ground and dissipate. In my other hand, Petal stabbed right at the head of an Ursa. I jumped on the body of the Grimm, dodging the extendible hand of the Nuckelavee and dashed to a group of Grimm with my Semblance. I cut through all of them before they could react and moved to help Qrow.

He was dealing with a King Taijitu, so I ran to the black head and kicked it away. It slithered away and tried to strike back. I sidestepped the lunge and stabbed Thorn in its eye. It roared in pain and attempted to throw me off. I took advantage of its movements and flew through the air, falling down and cutting its head off.

Meanwhile, Qrow stabbed his scythe on the other head and slammed it on the ground, killing it. I noticed the Grimm trying to lunge at me and I back flipped away, close to Qrow. A few Grimm charged at us and, without a word, the two of us stood back to back and dealt with them without a single word.

We were a whirlwind of death. Beowolves, Ursas and Borbatusks. None of them got to touch us, even after fighting for so long and wounded as I was. After a few seconds of fighting, the Grimm stopped and someone stepped through them.

"I guess that what they said about the members of team STRQ is right!" A woman dressed with a white suit jacket and pants walked out. A red tie and a black shirt gave her a business-like look, something you would see in Atlas. Her long, black hair reached to her waist and her black eyes were full of amusement and cruelty. "You truly are great huntsmen!"

Qrow turned to her. He used his hand to comb his hair backwards and his charismatic side appeared again. "If you didn't had such ugly friends, you and I could have gone out together." While Qrow distracted her, I looked around. We were on the main street of the town and I looked for a way out. In front, Grimm. Left, Grimm. Right, Grimm. And behind…

Oh! Would you look at that? More Grimm!

"Oh~ what a charmer~" Answered the woman. The Grimm kept away from us, but they had every exit covered. It was a miracle there weren't any Grimm on the skies. "You definitely look like someone who likes to have fun, but be careful what you say about my friends. They can get offended pretty easily."

The Grimm growled but didn't move closer. "But, alas, you two chose the wrong side of this war." Her smile became wider. "It is such a shame having to kill you, Qrow. It would have been fun spending time with you. And you," she pointed her sword at me, "you really could have made a good agent. But while your Silver Eyes make you a threat, they don't make you immortal."

"Qrow." I whispered. He moved closer, still covering my back. "There's no way out. But you can transform into a bird."

My partner frowned. "Yeah, no. I'm not leaving you behind, pipsqueak. We'll find a way."

"There's no way out and the Grimm just keep coming." I told him. "We can't kill them all and she is too strong to deal with her and the Grimm at the same time, especially with me being wounded." I looked down and sighed. "I'll use my eyes to buy you time. Transform and go back to Ozpin. Tell him the Maiden is gone, but that Salem doesn't have it."

"No, Summer! We'll find another way out. I'm sure-"

"Qrow!" I cut him off. Of course I would like to find another exit and return to my daughters, but only one of us would be able to live. "As your team leader, I'm ordering you to follow my plan."

"Summer…" He sighed but then smiled. "Fine. I'll come back for you. You better stay alive or I'm gonna be pissed, pipsqueak."

"Are you done whispering?" Asked the woman. "Now that you've said your goodbyes, we can-"

She was cut off as a shadow covered the area and _something_ flew over us. With the sun behind the figure, I couldn't see what it was until it landed further away on the street. All of us, even the Grimm, turned to see what had just landed. But, whatever that thing was, a black cloud of smoke covered it. It looked sickening and made me want to step away from it, and by the reaction of Qrow and the woman, I wasn't the only one.

A couple of seconds passed and the black mist moved away as the figure stepped outside slowly. The steps of the creature were heavy sounded like it was something big. And it _was_. Without the mist, I got the first look at the creature, and I immediately wanted to _run_. It was completely black, with a purple coloring on its underside. It was very similar to one of the dragons of the fairy tales I read to the girls, but far more monstrous. Its wings appeared to be flowing with darkness, and they looked like some sort of cape. Taking a closer look, I noticed it lacked eyes and that the mist came from the creature.

"What the…" The woman stiffened while looking at the thing. With this pause, the pain of the wound in my midsection grew and I grunted while clutching it. The creature turned its head at me and I could swear it looked like it had found something.

"You are not a Grimm." Said the woman, bringing the dragon's attention to her. She smiled. "But my mistress would surely find a good use for you."

"Summer." Qrow got my attention. "We should run _now_."

I nodded, but before we could move, the woman pulled out a gun and shot at us. Qrow blocked it. "You are going nowhere! Get them!"

The Grimm turned back to us, but before they could attack, the creature roared. I had to bring my hands to my ears to keep them from exploding. It send chills down my spine, making even the Grimm stop.

 **(Play: RE: Monster Hunter 4 – Mantle That Conceals The Light ~ Gore Magala [Intense Symphonic Metal Cover], by FalKKonE. watch?v=NfD4Qqbp80k)**

When the roar stopped, the creature jumped to the closest Grimm: the Nuckelavee. The human-horse hybrid tried to fight back. It was useless, as the creature grabbed its two upper arms and bit at the neck of the human part of the Grimm, ripping the head off quickly. As the dragon proceeded to finish the horse, the other Grimm moved to it, but some remained behind to fight Qrow and me.

I fought through the pain in my stomach and keep myself beside Qrow, covering his back as he covered mine. Seeing as how we needed to keep the Grimm at a distance, I transformed my dual swords into the dual-bladed glaive and begun stabbing, shooting and slicing at the Grimm. Luckily, the dragon had taken the attention of the bigger ones, so that left us with an easy fight compared to what we had before.

Sparing a look to the creature, I saw it fight, and boy, was it scary. I hadn't noticed before, but even with a sword stabbed on it, the dragon killed Grimm left and right. His huge size played to his advantage, as he stomped and ripped through anything that dared to come close. The bigger Grimm had no better luck, as the dragon kept them away and baited their strikes.

When I looked closer, I realized something: it was fighting them _effectively_. The strikes were measured and every move was made with care. I would have expected it to fight as if it was enraged, but it showed more brains than any Grimm or animal I had ever seen.

With a sickening _*crunch*_ , the dragon broke the neck of the Taijitu and proceeded to fight the other head. I turned back to my own fight. Qrow and I had almost deal with the Grimm surrounding us. While I was fast and deadly, Qrow was stronger. Suddenly, a sword attempted to strike from my side and forced me to block. That left me exposed to the shot of her gun, though, and made me reel back in pain. My Aura had recovered somewhat and had stopped the shot, but the pain was still there.

I stepped back and looked at her. That same smile remained in her face. "You think a little setback will stop me from enacting my mistress plans?" Qrow finished the last Grimm behind me and turned to her. She aimed the gun at me. "Salem will be happy knowing of your demise. You both have been a pain to deal with ever since Ozpin brought you in."

I smiled. "Glad to hear it. Being a pain in the neck is one of my specialties." I readied my glaive and Qrow stepped beside me.

"I can attest to that." Said Qrow, grinning as I glared at him. "Being in a team with her wasn't easy."

I will get you after this, Qrow Branwen, _mark my words_. But first, we had to deal with her. We readied ourselves and she did the same. Her glare became focused, looking between the two of us. Her weapon was a sword-whip and used a gun on her off-hand. The latter packed quite the punch, but if we got it away from her, she would be defenseless against our own guns. We would have a great advantage, and then-

My inner thoughts were stopped as a ball of that black smoke impacted on her side and sent her flying away. We looked at the source of it, only to find that the Grimm were almost completely exterminated. The black smoke from the dissipating Grimm was mixed with the dark purple mist from the dragon, and the being itself didn't look worse for wear. Its breath was ragged and its underside was glowing with the same color as its mist, but it lacked any wounds or injuries.

By the looks of it, it didn't appear that the attack was aimed at her, simply that a Grimm dodged it. "What did you do!?" Looking back at the woman, she was kneeling on the ground, with one hand clutching her stomach and using her sword in the other as a cane.

She looked _horrible_ : her Aura was flashing wildly, purple spots had appeared on her body and she was expelling the same mist from her mouth. Her Aura was fighting against whatever the mist was doing to her, but it didn't stop it completely. She shouted in pain as she bent down. "Aaargh! Make it stop! Make it stop!" She reached for her gun and shot at the dragon.

The creature simply shrugged off the shots and turned to her. Dispatching a Beowolf that attempted to attack it, the dragon charged at the woman. She tried to run, but it was quicker and caught her with one of its wings? Arms? In the next few seconds, the woman was smashed against the ground and buildings around until her Aura shattered. Giving her one last look, it threw her to a ruined building, with such bad luck that she ended up impaled in a metal rod from the ruins.

 **(End music)**

"Well, counting the ball of mist and that, I think I owe my Semblance twice" I nodded at Qrow's words.

The dragon breathed heavily and turned to look at us, or, more specifically, _me_. "Okaaaay…" We took a step back as the dragon moved forward. "Qrow, I think its time we left." I said, as I clutched the wound on my body.

"Yeah, you took the words-" The dragon roared and charged at us. We dodged to different sides, but the creature focused on me. I tried to stab it but it simply grabbed my weapon with its mouth. It pulled it away from me and, before I could react, it reached with one of his claws and grabbed me.

"Summer!" Qrow shouted and tried to attack the almost-Goliath sized dragon. Key word 'tried', as the dragon flapped its wings and sent my teammate flying away, crashing into a building, with the sheer strength of the wind. The dragon jumped to the air and began to fly away.

"Qrow!" I reached out and tried to use my Semblance, but it had me completely trapped and moving too much would only open my wound more.

The dragon flied away as my partner recovered. Before he could transform, I had almost lost the village of sight.

In the claws of a creature that just decimated an army of Grimm like nothing.

* * *

 **/ Gore P.O.V. /**

…

That couldn't have gone _any_ worse.

Let me recall what just happened: find myself in a strange location? Check. Kill the only person that I know can pull the sword out of my chest? Check. Discover hostile creatures that vanish into thin air when they die? Check. Find humans fighting between them and kill one of them? Check. Kidnap a Silver Eyed human while leaving her friend behind?

I looked down at my claw while I flew.

"Let me go, you black smelly lizard!"

Check.

Because sure, killing and kidnapping will totally _not_ come to bite me back in the ass. Now- hey! I'm not a lizard, I'm an Elder! One of the most powerful at that. And I' not smelly!

*sniff**sniff*

Okay, maybe I _do_ need a bath. But that doesn't mean you get to insult me!

"Let me go! I'm not a princess for you to kidnap!" She shouted.

Why would I care if you were a princess? In fact, why would I want to kidnap a princess of all things!? And stop shouting for me to let you go! We are flying through the air! If I let you go, you will fall and-

…

I smiled. Bringing myself to a stop in the air, I brought her in front of my face. "What do you want now!?" I kept smiling and simply looked down slowly, then back at her. "What?" She did the same a few times and her eyes became wide. "Wait, wait, wait! I didn't mean it like thaaaaaaaaaaaat!

I needed her alive, but that doesn't mean I couldn't have some fun. I immediately followed behind her as she screamed. When I had her at my reach, I waited a few more seconds before grabbing her again. I guess she wanted to say something to me, but I scared her enough to keep the insults to herself. So, we returned to flying back to the cave, now in silence.

When we reached the mountain, I threw her on the ground, making her land with an _'oof!'_. While she recovered, I bit the cape she wore and pulled into the cave. "Arg! Stop! My neck!" She flailed around and tried to get away but I didn't bulge.

Suddenly, she unclasped her cape and stood, but had to move closer to a wall due to her wound. Why hadn't she healed herself? Had she already used all of her items? In any case, if she was going to die, I rather have her get the sword out first. She grunted in pain and closed her eyes for a second. I took the opportunity and grabbed her with one of my wingarms quickly.

"Oh, c'mon, not again!" She wined. I chuckled at her peril. She was rather cute trying so hard to get free. While I walked deeper into the cave, I took a good look at the rooms I hadn't explored before. When I glanced into the one with the strange rocks, I almost had to cover my non-existent eyes.

There, inside of that room, several crystals of the same mineral that the one of the sword covered the walls. The crystals looked exactly like the sword in my chest. Sure, because _another_ mystery is _just_ what I needed!

"Whoa." The woman in my shoulder looked as surprised as I was. "What is this place?"

A question for later. For now, I wanted that sword out. I walked inside and dropped the woman down, this time more carefully. She grunted and kept a hand on her stomach. The wound was bad, but I had seen humans survive worse. "So, you brought me here to do what? Kill me? Eat me? I won't go down without a fight, fiend!"

She tried to stand. I was growing tired, so I simply pushed her with my head. She squeaked and fell back. Before she could attempt anything else, I moved my face right in front of hers and growled. She stood still but didn't back down for a second. She wasn't afraid of me, so instead of keeping this senseless staring contest, I lifted my leg and showed her the sword stabbed under it.

She stared at it for a few moments, and she seemed confused at what I was doing. "You… want me to pull the sword out?" I nodded. "Can't you just, you know, do it yourself?"

…

Do you really think I would go through all this trouble if could!? I took a deep breath and shook my head. She looked at me and then at the sword again. She turned her head and crossed her arms. "Well, sucks for you, because I won't help you!"

Do you think you have a choice in this? I moved closer and used the same leg to press her down, right at her wound. "Argh! Fine, fine! I'll help you, I'll help you!"

I lifted my leg and exposed the sword. She took a few breaths before reaching out. Unlike my failed attempt with the weapon, with but a simple pull, she extracted the sword in an instant. I groaned in pain and felt the wound closing slowly. That was better. While I moved my leg, the woman examined the sword.

"It's well done, but I don't see anything special with-" I turned to see why she had stopped, only to see the sword shinning brightly again. I moved away. If that sword was making someone disappear again, it wouldn't be me. Unlike the first time, though, I heard the woman scream for a moment before the light dissipated completely.

Moving closer, I noticed that the woman had fainted, but the wound on her stomach had healed completely. The sword still had the same silver light as before, but this time it was fainter. Maybe it needed to recharge? In any case, I was tired, and with my wound healing, sleep would help it close better.

I _love_ my natural healing.

I turned around, only to hear the voice of the woman behind me. "No.. Ruby…" She was trembling, and while the cold didn't affect me as much, I could see how a human would feel cold in the cave. "Don't cry… mommy's here…"

Was she a mother? Great, not only had I killed a human, but the one I kidnap is also a mother. I sighed. Well, there goes the idea of keeping human attention away from me. Giving her one last look, I reached for her cape and covered her with it. She grabbed it and smiled.

I may not care too much about humans, but this one helped me, even if it wasn't completely willingly. In any case, I repay my debts, so I can do this, at the very least.

With that , I moved to the entrance of the room and lied down to sleep. While I wasn't going to kill her, the last thing I needed was for her to scape and warn other humans of me. With that last thought, I let my feelers rest as I fell asleep.

* * *

 **A.N.: I hoped you liked the first chapter. Poor Qrow, jumping from one bad situation to another. His Semblance can really be a pain in the ass.**

 **Now, Reviews! (For Faded Fire readers: I won't answer any reviews of that story here. It would be an utter mess if I did it. I'll read them nonetheless, so don't worry)**

 **Lionheart33: thank you! I'm going to keep improving while I write so people can enjoy it.**

 **Deathangles14: I don't know what third person you are talking about. If you mean the OC in the description, then that is Gore. Thank you for the support, too!**

 **UndeadLord22: oh boy, you haven't seen half of it. Mwahahahahahahaa!**

 **Guest: dude, is for people like you that I love writing. I'm not perfect, but having even a single person that likes my work makes my day. In any case, thank you, truly. If you can't find your password, create a new account. That way if you want to PM me or something, you at least can. As for the True Frenzy, well, if I were to speak about it, I would be spoiling my own story, and that wouldn't be fun, now would it? (Between you and me: do you read minds or something!? 0_0) By the way, I didn't got it twice, so don't worry.**

 **III: the Elders are the Elder Dragons, so yeah, there are a** _ **lot**_ **more. I don't know what you mean with the second question, but there are many chapters in V6 that expand on a lot of lore, and that includes the Grimm.**

 **dovahkin01: thank you! Updates are (usually) on Sundays.**

 **One last thing: what do you think of me using songs for the fights? I just love FalKKonE's remixes and the Gore one is just awesome. I think that's going to be the main character theme from now on. And,** _ **obviously**_ **, the songs belong to their creators,** _ **not**_ **me.**

 **Have a great day!**


	4. Chapter 2: Communication problems

**A.N.: hello there! Couple of things: I'm going to be with exams this next two weeks (ugh), so if I fail to post the next chapter on time, I apologize now.**

 **Another thing is that, while Remnant seems to have English as its main language, MH depends on which one you chose in-game. For better flow of the story, it's also going to be mainly English.**

 **With that said, enjoy!**

* * *

 **Black Dragon, White Rose**

 **Chapter 2**

 **Communication problems**

 **/ Gore P.O.V. /**

One of the few advantages from lacking eyes is sleep. Not being affected by light is useful for those days when I am so tired that the only thing I want to do is lie down in a comfortable place and sleep until I feel like it. It's pure bliss, and back in the steppes, I could do as a pleased without having to worry, only dealing with the stupid hunter here and there.

So, imagine my surprise when I wake up and saw a blinding silver light right in front of my face.

Of course, the first thing I did was groan and try to go back to sleep. Then, I realized to things: first, I was _not_ alone in the cave the last time I checked; second, she didn't faint in front of me. So, when my brain noticed what was going on, I immediately reacted by standing up and jumping backwards.

The woman let out a shocked squeak and, to my surprise, vanished into white petals for a second before reappearing a few feet back. She reached for the sword, now in her possession, pointing it at me. I growled loudly, making it clear I did _not_ like being woke up. "Stay back!" She shouted. What!? It was you who was moving closer to my face!

I pointed with my head at her and growled again, trying to make her understand what I was saying. "I… um…ah… I didn't do anything! I was just… investigating my enemy for weaknesses! Yeah, that was what I was doing, and totally not curious about how your scales felt or anything!"

…

It was too early for this. Too Ancients damn it early.

Sure, we'll go with that. I'm not awake enough to have a fight right now. Not that I couldn't fight, but it would be too much work to start the morning with. I huffed and turned around. I hadn't explored the cave totally and I wanted to know the place I was staying at. And if it gave me an excuse to stay away from that human, even better.

* * *

 **/ Summer Rose P.O.V. /**

That was too close for my liking. How was I supposed to know that thing was awake!? It doesn't have eyes! How does it even now where it's going and not to bump into a wall or walk into a hole!? Well, even if that hole had to be house-sized to even matter to it. I mean, the dragon was _huge_. I'm sure it could take on a Goliath without breaking a sweat! Ooooh, that fight would be _awesome_!

Urgh! Focus, Summer, focus! I need to get out of here and go back to Vale, then I can inform Ozpin of, well, _everything_ , and take a rest from huntress work. I wasn't planning to so soon, but after this, I think I've earned it.

Okay, okay. Let's see what we can work with: a freaking _dragon_ has kidnapped me and taken me to his lair… nest? Whatever! I'm trapped and the dragon doesn't want to leave my side- and it's leaving.

…

What? Did it just… walk away? Where is it going? I followed out of curiosity, a few meters behind him. I would just try to run to the exit, but the memories of after the fight yesterday were a bit blurry. Probably due to the loss of blood. I remember it bringing me here, losing my cape, taking out the sword from its chest and then a white light.

When I woke up, I had the sword _and_ my cape. Did the dragon cover me with it? Nah, it was probably the wind… right? In any case, the room we were in had these crystals all over the place that shined as if they were lights. With the darkness of the cave, it almost looked like someone had glued some stars into the walls. It was quite beautiful.

When I looked back at the entrance, I saw that dragon sleeping there. Had he just fallen asleep there or was he blocking my exit on purpose? It seemed clever enough to do that. I strapped the sword to my hip and noticed that my wound was _gone_. Not a scratch! How!?

Urgh! Too many questions for that hour in the morning! At least, I think it was morning. There was no way of knowing inside the cave. I zipped around, looking for another exit until my stomach growled. Great, and I had nothing to eat! Looking back at the dragon, I tried moving around of it, but there was no way out.

I ended up close to its head. It was bigger me! I may be small but I think that it could swallow _anyone_ in one go! The lack of eyes and the overall appearance made it look like a nightmare, but it looked calm and relaxed while sleeping, as if nothing could harm it. I had seen it fight, so that last thought was most probably true.

It was then that I decided to see how its skin felt. It had left the fight with the Grimm without a scratch, but the sword on my hip proved that it could be harmed, so I was curious. Was it rough? The head appeared smooth but, if life and hunting Grimm had taught me anything, was to not trust appearances.

Of course, it had to wake up just then and there. And for something that had just woken up, it reacted quicker than I thought possible! Like, seriously, all Tai could do without his morning coffee was creep down to the kitchen and grumble something close to 'good morning', and his reflexes were amazing during combat!

Returning back to the present, I strode carefully behind the creature. The cave was lightened by a few cracks that let the sunlight through here and there, but it was still pitch black most of the time. And the _blind_ dragon was guiding itself better than me! Again, how!? Did it had a sonar or something like that?

Anyway, I kept following the dragon while we roamed around the cave. It was big, and I wouldn't discard someone being able to get lost in it. Even if they had light to guide themselves with. Wait, that's it! I had my scroll!

I reached for it, only to step and trip on a rock, falling face first to the ground. I looked around for a moment. Damn it, I didn't had Qrow to blame it on his Semblance! A sound coming from further in front got my attention. I looked up and noticed the sound came from the dragon. And it sounded like a _laugh_. Well, it sounded somewhat guttural, but it was clear it was a laugh, even if it was creepy.

The thing was that it wasn't even looking at me, but it knew I had fallen. Was it by sound, then? I should test that later. For now, I got up, dusted myself off and glared at the dragon. That he was bigger, and stronger, and more menacing, and could probably kill me if it wanted to didn't mean he had the right to laugh at me!

…

Okay, maybe I couldn't do anything about it, but still! "Didn't you dragon mother teach you manners? It's not nice to laugh at someone!" I shouted, as I put my hands on my hips and acquired the stance I had come to call 'Angry mother' or, as my daughters called it, the 2nd level of fury. The first one was 'Disappointed', with my arms crossed. And the third level, well…

If I reached it, someone was in _**big**_ trouble.

The dragon turned its head at me, and then shrugged with its two wings, or arms, or wingarms. Yeah, that's it! Wingarms! In any case, the dragon continued through the cave. As we walked and passed more empty rooms, I started thinking.

Not only was this being clever, but it understood human speech. Maybe not all of it, but enough to keep a conversation, if it was able to talk. By its lack of voice, I assumed that its vocal cords didn't allow him to speak. And by the looks of it, it didn't appear like it could use sing language.

With myself lost in thought and the darkness of the cave, I didn't realize that the dragon had stopped, and I stepped on its tail. I jumped back and looked at it: whether it hadn't realized or didn't care, I didn't know. But I discovered why it had stopped.

We had reached another room, and this one was _huge_. Like, having-an-underground-lake huge. A few meters from the entrance, a lake was lighted by the algae under water, glowing in vibrant colors, with several fishes swimming by. It was breathtaking…

I could finally bath!

* * *

 **/ Gore P.O.V. /**

Well, this solved the issue of water and food, at least for now. And by the reaction of the woman beside me, I wasn't the only one that liked the new discovery. "Yes! I have grime and dirt _everywhere_. It was about time!" For a moment there, she seemed to forget about my presence.

Not that I cared if she bathed, honestly. I had already seen humans without clothes before: some of them thought of the river close to my territory as a good place to bath. I didn't care, and they caused no trouble, so I let them be. If she wants to bath, go ahead. I was about to do the same.

Her happy attitude stopped when she realized I was still beside her. "Hehe… um… you wouldn't mind giving me some privacy, right?"

I 'deadpanned', as humans say, as best as I could without eyes, growling softly. Seriously, woman? I'm not even human. I couldn't care less what you wore or didn't. I have already seen your kind without clothes and I haven't done anything.

My expression seemed to get the message through. "I-I know you are a dragon and all that," she rubbed the back of her head, "but I would still feel e-embarrassed if someone looked."

*sigh* You have got to be kidding me. You know what, no. No, I found this place! If you want bathe, you either swallow your shame or wait until I finish. And after _all_ of what has happened, I'm going to take my time and relax!

I nodded to myself and walked to the water. "H-hey, wait, what are you-?" I ignored her and jumped straight into the water. The only problem with my feelers and water is that, while I can feel the water, I can't feel how deep it is and what's in it as well as I do outside it. And when I get a general sensation on how the lake or river is made, it's always blurry and not very precise. With fish is different, as my hairs and scales still stick to their own scales. In any case, I had to be careful when going into the water.

I emerged from the water and swam calmly to the side from where I had jumped. I'm not great at swimming, but I can proudly say I won't drown any time soon. It was hard at first but if I was forced to a lake or a river by a hunter, it would pay off. That, or moments like this. When I reached the edge, I rested my head on the ground and left the rest of my body in the water.

"Hey!" I looked to see those Silver Eyes staring right back at me. "That's not fair! You weren't… I was going to-! Argh! You're a jerk! You hear me!? A jerk!" She crossed her arms and looked away. Sure, whatever you say. This is great: bath and entertainment. It's always fun to get reactions out of humans.

"Why do you even need to bath? I've seen how you leave scales and hairs everywhere you go! Shouldn't that take away the dirt too!?" But there's still some between the scales. And it's just relaxing. "Don't you lick yourself clean or something like that?" What, like most Inferiors? Yeah, keep dreaming.

With no answer to her questions (or, at least, none that she could hear), she kept glaring at me. After a few minutes of rambling and death glares, she relented. "Ugh, fine! Have it your way! But keep your eyes to yourself!" She shouted.

…

"Oh, r-right, I keep forgetting that… hehe…" And I'm right in front of her. I wonder, if I stood very still, would she forget I exist? That would come in handy.

With that, she moved behind a rock and took off her clothes. Running quickly towards the lake, she shouted. "Cannonball!" I've seen cannonballs hit water, and they make a bigger splash. Meh, 6 out of 10. Luckily for her privacy, the water removed any of my hairs from her body. At first, I though humans wore clothes to protect them from the weather, then I thought they did it to keep their privacy. In the end, it's a mix of both.

She swam for a bit before reaching the edge and resting her arms outside. "The water is pretty warm. I only wished I had some shampoo with me. Oh well, beggars can't be choosers." She was close to me but outside of my range if I were to try and grab her. Clever. She's relaxed but doesn't let her guard down.

We stood in silence for a while, only interrupted when I lashed at a big fish with my wingarm. She was startled, but calmed down when she saw the fish in my claw. I started eating and, after a while she turned around and faced the ceiling. "I wonder where Qrow is…"

Crow? Wait, wasn't that the name of the man with her? Why would someone name their son after a bird, especially after that one? I turned my head to her. Her eyes seemed lost, in thought, but something much deeper than the times I had seen her before. "I hope Tai and the girls are alright." She shook her head and took a determined look. "I need to get back to them."

And what assures me that you won't tell the other hunters where I am? With that thought, I jumped out of the water beside her. She had ripped a piece of cloth from her cape and was drying herself as best as she could. She looked at me and I started shaking the water off. I thought the water would reach her, but she vanished again and reappeared behind the rock where her clothes were. "Hey, watch it! I don't want to dry myself off twice!"

How does she do that? I've seen some hunters dodging through what they called 'techniques', but she _literally_ disappears and reappears somewhere else. I shook my head. That's not important right now. When she came from behind the rock, I was already blocking the exit. She walked up to me. "Let me go."

It wasn't a request, but an order. A shame that I want to keep myself from being hunted. I shook my head. "I just want to return to my family. What reason could you have to keep me here?" There it was, the communication problem again. The reason was simple, the way to explain it, not so much.

Wait, I couldn't speak what I thought in her language, but I could guide her to it. She spoke before I could though. "Is it because you need something of me? I already took that sword out from you, let me remind you." She crossed her arms. I shook my head. "Then what? You think I'm going to come back for revenge or something?"

…

Well, that was easy. I nodded and she looked at me, surprised. "Wait… you… think I'll do that?" It had happened before, in different circumstances, but it happened, so I wouldn't be surprised. I nodded. "Well, you did kidnap me, but I'm not spiteful. I mean, sure, I like to play pranks on people when they deserve it, but holding _real_ grudges helps with nothing. I promise you I won't come back to hunt you. You… did save me there in a way, during the fight yesterday."

I looked at her, and she did seem truthful, but I've seen humans and they can lie pretty well. I shook my head again. And even if she didn't come back, who says others won't try. "You don't trust me." She said. I nodded. "Yeah, I can see that." She sighed and remained silent for a few seconds before speaking. "Okay, we are going nowhere like this. I want to go home but you don't trust me. Is there a way I can prove to you that I'm not lying? Or a way that you think will allow me to return without you worrying?"

She was… negotiating? Now that I think of it, this is the first 'conversation' I ever had human. In fact, this one the first human that hadn't fought me or ran away. It felt… nice, for a change. Back to the problem at hand, I started thinking. In the best case scenario, I could let her go and nothing would happen. I would be left alone to find my way back to the steppes. Worst case, she comes back with a full team or more to kill me. The problem is that she knows where I'm staying. If she didn't know where I was…

Wait, that's it! I grunted and brought her attention to me. She turned to me. "What? You have an idea?" I nodded. She smiled. "Then, can I go home?" Not so soon. First, I needed to do something. I shook my head and her smile dropped. "But why? You said you had an idea." I nodded and, with my wingarm, I raised three claws. She raised an eyebrow. "Three? Three what?"

Um, how do I explain this? The lake was closed and no sunlight came in. Then, another idea came to my mind. I quickly grabbed her, ignoring her complains and ran to the room where I first awoke. Dropping her down, I pointed to the hole in the ceiling and gestured '3' again. I never wished to speak human language before, but now it came as very appealing.

She looked up, seeing the sunlight coming through the hole. "Three holes?" What? No! I shook my head. "Um, three… sunrays? No, that can't be it." I pointed back at the hole. "Three suns?" There! That was close enough! I nodded. "Three suns?" Her eyes went wide. "Three days! Wait, three days what?"

I pointed at her and then to the ground. "You want me to stay three days?" Yes! Finally! While she stayed, I would search for any other place to stay hidden. I have enough time in three days, and when she returned to her home, I would also leave the cave. That way, if she sent someone, they wouldn't find me, and if she didn't, well, it didn't hurt to be prepared. I nodded to her question.

"Why?" I brought my head down. How do I explain it!? "Okay, okay. I'm giving both us trouble by asking. So, three days and I can leave, just like that? You won't hunt me down or chase me?"

* * *

 **/ Summer Rose P.O.V. /**

For the dragon not being able to speak, it did found ways to convey its messages. The dragon nodded to my last question. I still was curious: why did it want me to stay three days? Would something happen then? Was another of his kind coming?

I kept looking at the dragon. If I were to run, it wouldn't let me get away and I would be forced to fight. And I doubt my Silver Eyes would work. It was definitely not a Grimm, so that left me with my skill and the sword at my hip. Even knowing that it could harm it, I don't think I could beat it.

It was faster than me and my Semblance could only do so much. Even then, I was hungry and while I could play his size to my advantage, it would just need a lucky hit to really hurt me. I don't think my Aura could take more than 2-3 well placed attacks. And then there was the mist that it controlled. I had seen what had happened to the woman back at the village, and I rather not go through that any time soon. Or ever.

So my options were reduced to die fighting or wait 3 days to leave. But just as it couldn't trust me, I couldn't trust it. So this was a leap of faith for both of us, in a way.

Fine, I wasn't going to leave my daughters without a mother. I couldn't do that to Ruby and Yang didn't deserve to go through that again, even if she was a baby when Raven left. "Okay. Three days. Then I'm out. We don't trust each other, so we can only hope the other isn't lying."

The creature stood still for a moment, as if surprised I had accepted. Well, I guess that something like it hasn't had too much interaction with humans. Then, the dragon nodded and I extended my hand. It turned its head to the side and let out a noise, which I guess was of surprise. Nevertheless, it stretched its wingarm and one of its claws and I shook it with a smile.

Then, the moment was broken by my stomach grumbling. "Umm, hehehehe… you… you don't think you could, um, well, catch another fish while I find something to light a fire?" I said with a smile. I'm sure that my cheeks were red as a tomato. It was so embarrassing!

The dragon rolled its head, and maybe it was just my imagination, but I could swear there was a faint smile as it moved away.

* * *

 **/ Ozpin P.O.V. /**

"Thank you, Leo. Please, inform me if any news of them reach you."

The Faunus at the other side nodded. "I will, my friend. Good night."

"Good night." I ended the call and took a sip from the coffee at my desk. It had turned cold, but even like that, the Vacuan brand was still delicious. I turned my chair around and looked outside, to Beacon and Vale. Everything seemed calm and in peace.

*sigh*

If only that were true.

It had been 4 days since Qrow and Summer last called back from Mistral. It wasn't strange for huntsmen to go off radar during a mission. The problem was that they should have already returned and reported from Mistral about the village they were sent to investigate. The mission was to go in, clear the Grimm and try to find clues about the missing Maiden.

It shouldn't be taking this long. Sure, it was only a day more than I expected, but I couldn't help but worry about the two. What if Salem had sent someone to kill them? What if she had the Maiden? Too many questions without answers.

I was caught off guard by the sudden call to my office. It was late at night and very few people had my personal number, so it had to be rather important.

Luckily, it was.

I picked up and a screen appeared in front of me. A man I trusted and knew well appeared on the other side, though the tell-tale signs of tiredness and lack of sleep showed on his face. "Qrow. I was starting to worry about you. Are you alright? How did the mission go?" He looked down and I realized something, or, in this case, the lack of _someone_. "Qrow, where's Summer?"

"You better hold onto your seat, Oz." He answered. I could already tell something went wrong, _very_ wrong. "You're not gonna believe what I have to say."

For all my patience, I was worried about her. "Is Summer alright?" Leaving two children and a husband behind for the greater good was something that required a lot of bravery and will, but that also came with a great risk. The least I could do is try to keep them alive.

And, by Qrow's words until now, it would seem as if I had failed. _Again_.

Qrow rubbed the back of his head. "Yes. No. I…" He sighed. "I think she's alive, but she's been kidnapped."

That could be worse than I thought. "Salem? Was she waiting for you? Has she taken her?" If so, it would _definitely_ be worse than death.

"Yes. I mean, no! Ugh." He closed his eyes for a moment and started explaining. "You were right. It had been Salem and it was a trap. I don't know if it was meant specifically for us, but it worked." He crossed his arms. I took a moment to look behind him and realize he was probably calling from a private cabin on a relay. Those could only be used by huntsmen or government workers. "We walked straight to it and one of her agents tried to kill us. Summer was ready to sacrifice herself for me to scape."

I closed my eyes. It was my fault they ended up in that situation. I should have sent a bigger team. "I see…"

"It doesn't end there." He said, bringing me back to reality. " _Something_ intervened."

Something? "What are you talking about, Qrow?"

"Oh, boy, here's where things get strange, Oz." He took a second before speaking, as if he couldn't believe it himself. "It was a freaking _dragon_ , Oz. Not a Grimm, but a dragon, like the ones from the fairy tales."

What? That's impossible. "Are you sure? It wasn't a Semblance of some kind?"

"It slaughtered an entire army of Grimm and killed the agent Salem had sent after us, Oz." That's… impressive, to say the least. But it still didn't answer where Summer was. "And it didn't look like the thing had a single scratch afterwards. I saw it, Oz. It shrugged their attacks like nothing."

I hadn't seen any creature the might resemble that, not even before the God Brothers left this world and my first death. "Luckily, you seem to be fine. But what about Summer?"

He shook his head. "That's the thing. The dragon charged at us and took her away before I could follow. I have spent the last night and this day searching the area, but I couldn't find a single trace of them. Though the last time I saw Sum, she was alive. Wounded, but alive."

Those were good and bad news. Salem didn't have her but she was still missing. And whatever this creature was, it just made things more complicated. A third party? Maybe, but unlikely. If I hadn't found them, then Salem most probably had, and she would have already dealt with them. "And the Maiden?"

He shook his head. "Not a trace, but we discovered that the agent was also there to try and find her, so Salem doesn't have her either."

I nodded. "At least, not everything are bad news." We still had to find her, but we had no other clues of where she might be. And Summer took preference for now. "You don't know where the dragon took her?"

"I wouldn't be here if knew, wouldn't I?" He snapped back. A moment later, he sighed. "Sorry. I think the lack of sleep is finally catching up."

I shook my head, understanding his situation. "It's alright." I hummed for a second while I thought. "For now, we'll focus on finding Summer. We have no idea where the Maiden might be, so there's nothing we can do about that at the moment."

"Yeah." He closed his fist a moment later. "Damn it, I should have been faster. Now that thing has it and it would be my fault if I left Tai and the girls without a mother." He sighed and brought a hand to his face. "Gods, the girls…"

"Don't worry. I haven't told them anything yet. And I don't intend to." Qrow looked back at me with a questioning look. "Until we find her, I think it would be better if they thought that the mission is simply taking longer than expected."

"You mean, _if_ we find her." He retorted.

"Qrow…"

"No, no. You're right. We'll find her." He shook his head. "It's just that I'm worried about her. What could that _thing_ be doing to her right now?"

I shook my head. "Let's not worry about that now. For the moment, try to describe to me how the dragon looked like." I said. "If anything like that is spotted, people will report it, and if any huntsmen are close by, we can track it down."

He nodded. "Okay." He closed his eyes and spoke. "Honestly, it looked like something out of a nightmare: completely black, with four legs and two wings. Oh, and it had no eyes." Qrow grumbled. "That didn't stop that son of a bitch from zeroing on Sum and taking her away."

I nodded. In times like this, it was better to let people vent in some way. "Anything else?"

"Yeah. It was covered in a black mist." He added.

I raised an eyebrow. "A black mist?"

Qrow nodded. "It seemed to be able to control it and use it in combat. A ball of that thing hit the woman that was sent to kill us." Qrow shivered, remembering something, if I were to guess. "It wasn't pretty, Oz. Whatever that mist is, it messes Aura up and causes a lot of pain."

That did sound dangerous. If this mist was able to disrupt someone's Aura, it could spell disaster for anyone, even huntsmen. "I see. The situation seems dire, but Summer is strong and resourceful. Though you know that better than I. She was your team leader, after all." I said with a smile.

Qrow nodded, but he went wide eyed suddenly. "This may sound strange, especially coming from me, but… what if we ask Rae for help?" I was about to retort when he shut me off. "Listen. All of this can be over: she can open a portal to her and take her back."

"It doesn't sound mad, Qrow, but it does look _desperate_." I knew Raven, and she wouldn't do something in exchange of nothing, even if it was for Summer. "She won't help us, and even if she did, the creature might capture her too. Or even worse: it could react to her attempt at rescue badly and kill them both." I shook my head. "But I don't have to tell you this. She _is_ your sister. You know her as much as I do, even better."

He sighed but nodded nonetheless. "I know. Maybe the lack of sleep is affecting me more than I thought." He sighed. "It just feels like we are leaving her to her own luck."

"We won't, Qrow. I'll start preparing a group of hunters to help you and call Leo in the morning." It would take a few days, but we could only hope it was fast enough. "You'll remain there and keep an eye out for anything that might guide us to her. I recommend you rest tonight, though. You won't be able to help Summer if you can't even stand."

"I will." He gave me one last look. "I hope you're right, Oz. I would rather not tell the girls that her mother is gone."

"You won't have to. I promise." With that, he ended the call. No, if something happened, I would be the one to deliver the news. It was my fault that she took this mission, the least I could do is take responsibility.

I drank what remained of my coffee and stared out of the window one last time before leaving my office. With Glynda now aware of the reality of this world, things had become much easier and she had been of great assistance, both in matters of Beacon and the ones that required more secrecy.

As I took one last look at my office from the elevator, a thought rooted itself on my head: how much could Summer hold before it was too late?

* * *

 **/ Gore P.O.V. /**

"Blegh." The woman scrunched her face as she took a bite from the piece of meat in the stick in her hand. "It's _definitely_ not the same without salt and spices."

It had been a day since I convinced the human to stay. It has been… eventful. Not bad, but I wouldn't say everything had been perfect. She had taken a few roots and vines from some rooms in the cave and had been using them, alongside a couple of rocks, to start a fire. With it, she cooked what I had brought her to eat. That I didn't need her doesn't mean I was going to be cruel and let her starve away

The lake in the cave, while big, didn't hold too many fishes, so this morning, I decided to go hunting. The problem was that those black beasts couldn't be used as food, as they vanished when dead. And without Inferiors, I had to aim for animals. Luckily, the black beasts seem to leave them alone, and this area had many of them running around.

I also took some time to scout for any place that could serve as a new nest until I left for the steppes. I hadn't been able to find anything so far: very few caves and most of them were occupied by the creatures. Not that I couldn't simply kill them or force them out, but I would rather not have them coming back with more and more numbers each time. The place was crawling with them!

As for the human, she… hadn't been as bad as I expected. She did like to go to the exit of the cave, but she realized that she couldn't go down without my help or proper equipment, which she lacked. She had also decided to take what she called 'photos' of me. Supposedly, they were instant drawings that her small machine was able to 'capture', so to speak.

I couldn't see them, because, while I could sense the machine, I couldn't see what was on the 'screen', because it used light to show what the human wanted. It was interesting and, compared to the what the humans from close to my territory had, extremely advanced. What I found most confusing was its name, though.

When she took the first photo of me, I looked at her with my head to the side. She noticed me and smiled. "Oh, don't worry! I'm just taking a photo of you in my scroll." I looked at her hands and found a small, rectangular and plane object

That looked _nothing_ like a scroll, but okay.

It was not the weirdest thing I had seen recently, so I wasn't going to complain. Apart from the fire and the pictures, she had created a small bed of moss and used her cape to cover herself as best as possible. It had only been two nights, but it was clear that the cape wasn't enough to protect her from the cold.

Right now, she was eating the last piece of cooked meat while I finished one of the boars I had killed. I found interesting the concept of 'cooking': humans didn't have the same resistance to sickness that came from food that we had, so they literally _burned_ them and it, supposedly, made the food tastier. I haven't tried any 'cooked' food but it was another way of showing that, despite their natural weaknesses, humans found ways to surpass them. They even have different ways to cook the food and they add different stuff to change the taste.

Heh, leave it to humanity to find a way to make something as simple as food complicated.

I finished what remained of the animal and threw the bones at a pile in the corner of the room. With the small waterfall in the wall, I used it to drink some water and clean my teeth. It was rather uncomfortable to have food between them. Besides, the woman wouldn't stop complaining ever since she saw me yesterday night, when I decided to not clean them.

"Honestly, they are going to fall of and you are not going to be able to even bite!" Why did she care? She acted as if she was the boss of the place at times. She sounded angry but also worried. Was it because she was a mother? Most female humans act like that when they have children.

It was very annoying, though I could guess it was natural for mothers to act protective and to worry for others.

Apart from that, she used her 'not-a-scroll' to look at photos and try to get a signal of sorts. I didn't understand how she would get a signal with that, but she stopped trying after a while. She said something about 'the relays not reaching' and 'the cave causing interferences'. I don't know what she was talking about, but humans are weird and complicated, so I'm starting to get used to her.

I returned close to the fire, leaving the search for a new nest for tomorrow, noticing that it was pretty late. Laying down, I saw her looking at her small machine with a saddened look in her eyes. I made a noise to grab her attention. She turned her head to me and I pointed with my claw go the machine. "You want to know what I'm doing?" I nodded and she smiled, her mood brightening up. "I was looking at some photos I had with my daughters. They are the reason I fight the Grimm, you know?"

Grimm? What was she talking about? The creatures? "The Grimm have us pushed into four kingdoms, with small towns and villages scattered around. Humanity has been fighting them since, well, _ever_ , and the huntsmen and huntresses are the ones protecting others from the Grimm and other threats." I was just as confused as when she began. 4 kingdoms? The humans had several cities and towns all over the land. They expand. I heard they were even sending fleets across the Great Sea to a new territory! So what was she talking about?

"I joined Beacon, the academy that trains huntsmen on Vale, because I wanted to help people. Even at those times, I knew that not everyone deserved that help: criminals, racists, bandits…" She stopped for a moment and I used it to gather my thoughts. Maybe I was in another continent? Across the Great Sea? If I could find a written-down map of these lands, I could try and figure out how to return. But for that I would need to approach the humans again. Great. I kept listening at what she was saying. "But I've always believed in second chances. Not everyone that acts evil is actually evil, and same goes for those doing good deeds. I know not everyone would repent or attempt to be better, but I will always give them the benefit of the doubt."

I was about to call that foolish, but she continued talking. I guess not being able to speak her language also stopped me. "Only once, though. I've seen enough of the real world to know that letting your guard down like that may cost you your life." Her somber tone changed in her next words. "But we - huntsmen and huntresses - are here to keep the world safe and make it a better place. That's why, even with my two little girls back home, I keep doing this. They are, in fact, the reason why I keep at it. I want to try and make the world a better place for them."

That… is an idea I can understand. I never had children, but if I did, I wouldn't want them to be threatened by hunters day and night. My kind doesn't usually have the parent take care of the offspring, seeing as how not even the parents know what Inferiors will be able to host one of us. But I had the luck of growing up with a family, and I think that has made me a little bit more protective of those I care about. Not that I _do_ care about many, but I would do anything for my sister and I consider Dalamadur a trustworthy friend, even if he likes to ramble on and on with his old stories.

"So yeah," she continued, pulling me out of my thoughts, "I do this for my loved ones, even if that takes me away from them." She tapped at the device and smiled again. "But, after this, I think I'm going to take some time out and be with them." She looked at me with a smile and I nodded. She seemed like a caring mother to me. Not that I have much experience, though.

She kept looking at me, this time scanning my whole body, and asked something that made me raise my head from my paws. "By the way, do you have a name?"

A name? Not in the way humans did, no. The Elders, and even the Inferiors, use other methods to recognize each other: smell, hearing or someone's natural abilities. I, for example, can know someone based on their heat signature that my feelers sense. So, no, I didn't have a name, apart from the one the humans called me. I shook my head and she raised an eyebrow. "And you never wanted to have one?"

I, again, shook my head. "Oh. Then, you're okay if I give you one?" I twisted my head to the side. I couldn't speak, but I knew how to express _simple_ thoughts by gestures. Don't expect me to explain the meaning of life with them, though. "I mean, you don't need to keep it or anything, but I just feel weird calling you _'dragon'_. Isn't it weird for you?"

What is with humans overthinking and overcomplicating things? No, it's not weird, but some Elders may be offended at being called simply dragons. They're prideful like that. I shook my head. "Anyways, it still feels weird to me! So, will you let me? Please?"

The face she made would be what humans called cute. I think human children tried the same when they wanted something. For me, it was annoying. Sure, she was cute, but she looked more like a prey asking for mercy at the face of death. It really was getting on my nerves, and the silver light that made me able to see her didn't make it easier.

For the sake of my patience, I nodded. She smiled again and jumped in the air. "Yes! Take that, Qrow! My puppy face still works!" She turned back to me. "Okay, okay." She cleared her throat. "A name is something _really_ important. Normally, someone is named when they are born, so can't decide whether they like it or not. But you are different!" She said, while pointing at me. "You can actually decide whether you like it or not! Now, people are normally called after colors due to the oppression of the war almost 70 years ago, but I don't think that fits a dragon."

Colors? Clever, but they would ran out eventually. And she is right, I don't think I'll like it. I shook my head. "Okay, so…" She stopped for a moment before asking again. "Um, I… feel weird for not asking before but, uh, are you a boy or a girl?" Before I could answer anything she continued. "I-I mean, I don't see… _anything_ in you. Des your species grow from the ground or…?"

What!? No! Why would we be born directly from the ground!? That doesn't make any sense! Then again, almost every other Elder or Inferior _does_ have the male-female reproductive system and organs. We are actually the exception, seeing as how we decide our genres without care for which we choose. Meanwhile, she looked at me as if expecting an answer to her last question.

…

Wait, she is!? I quickly shook my head. What did she expect, that I said yes!? "Oh. So then how do you- never mind. So, boy, girl or are you neither? Not that I would have a problem with any, just curious." I always saw myself and acted more like a male so I raised one claw. "One? Oh! The first one. A boy then." I nodded. "Hey, I'm getting better at understanding you! Maybe I could… Nah, I don't know if I'll be seeing you after this."

Probably not, but if I needed another Silver Eyed human to get back home, I already knew one. And for a human and hunter, or huntress, as she said, she wasn't half-bad. "Great! With that settled, it's naming time!"

And then it _became_ bad. I don't know how humans choose their offspring names, but this was a pain! Why did I agree to this!? Oh, right, 'puppy eyes'. I was honestly considering going back to that. Darkwing, Eyeless, Blackscale… It was an endless list of obvious and childish names. What did she even name her daughters!? I honestly pity whatever names they had.

"You don't like Clawmist either?" I shook my head again, losing count of how many times I had declined her names. "Hmm. You don't like any of the names I give you." I growled loudly and nodded. "Well, if you came up with any ideas, this wouldn't be so hard! Although, maybe I am watching to many children shows with the girls. The villains always have very obvious names."

Is she seriously basing her choices on villains? I… don't know how to feel about that. I'm not evil or cruel, but I did kidnap her. Not to mention the humans I have killed over the years. She doesn't know it, but I did kill that woman back at the village, so maybe she does see my as some villain. "Ugh! It came so easy for my weapons and Ruby! You are just making it harder than it needs to be!" She pointed at me before bringing her finger to her chin. "Though, it is your name after all."

Yeah, it isn't as if had been your idea either.

…

Oh, wait!

I may not keep it, but I wasn't going to be called _any_ of those names. _Ever_. Compared to her, the humans back home where _far_ better at naming. Hmm. Maybe I lacked imagination, but this was starting to get insufferable.

While she was distracted, I started to use my claw to write on the ground. I had never written in their language before, but I had seen what they called 'alphabet' and I recalled it relatively well. I only needed four letters, so it didn't matter too much.

When I finished I growled at her. She turned and I pointed to the ground. She moved beside to me and her eyes went wide. "You can write!?" I did what humans called a 'so-so' gesture with my hand. The time I spent spying on villages and hunters is proving quite useful with her.

"Co-Cor-what?" I tried to remark the letters one by one. "Oh! That's a G!" I nodded. After a few seconds, she seemed to get it. "G-O-R-E. Gore? That's what you want to be called?" I nodded, if just to end the pain of the naming session she had forced me into. "Well, you did crush those Grimm back at the village."

Oh, I had forgotten that 'gore' was also a separate word in human language. I think it meant blood or something like that. In any case, I nodded and she accepted it. "Okay. It fits… in a way. It's your name, so as much as I like to pick names, it's your decision in the end."

Thank the Ancients that was over. And she mentioned the name of her daughter was Ruby. Seriously? Was she messing with me, or did she get lucky with her? In any case, it had turned too late to explore any more and the yawn from the human meant that I wasn't the only one tired from the day. Even if she hadn't even exited the cave.

She went to her makeshift bed, and even with the cold, she fell asleep quickly. Two days left to find a new cave. I guess I'll have to search in other directions, but I must be careful with humans. Before I went to sleep, I gave one last look to the human close to me.

I think that Crow guy called her Summer. Just like the season.

…

And the only names she could think for me were _those_. I still think she was messing with me.

* * *

 **A.N.: Gore and Summer are forced to live together for a few days! Though Gore has definitely less patience. And he is far more paranoid than Summer. Sorry if this chapter is a little bit slower than the first, but if these two are to understand each other, it must take some time.**

 **I also wanted your opinion with something: do you guys think Gore should have his Aura unlocked or nah? It has been going through my head for a while, but I think that would be a** _ **tad**_ **too much power. Nevertheless, I wanted you guys to choose, so go ahead and let me now!**

 **Now, Reviews!**

 **Slaggedfire: you must realize that he has spent** _ **several**_ **years spying on humans, both out of boredom and curiosity. Besides, he didn't have any other Elder Dragons around, so he doesn't have any other point of view about humanity apart from his own. The only one he spoke to is Dalamadur, as the rest simply try to kill him or scare him from their territory.**

 **Deathangles14: it's okay, mat8. As for his sister, I can't say anything without spoiling the story, so I won't.**

 **ShadowedCalling: I… simply haven't noticed. English is not my main language, and I'm prone to small mistakes like those, especially if I fail to notice. I apologize and thanks for making me notice.**

 **HBgamer111: thank you! Most of them will be MH or RWBY, but if anyone finds a song that thinks it will fit during a fight, feel free to PM me with it.**

 **Delta prime2: thank you. And yes, the sword does have some shenanigans going on, though it's not much the sword as it is the material. It will be explained later. And yes, Salem is going to be confused.** _ **A lot**_ **. Oh, and thanks to you, now I'm going to be referring to Gore as Gorey, though only outside the story.**

 **Ill: you're welcome. I always felt like answering the reviews. It also feels nice on my part. And did you expect that Summer being kidnapped by a dragon wasn't going to reach Ozpin? He is just as confused as he is worried.**

 **Raptorex: thank you. I had an idea like that at the beginning, but it just made things easier for me by falling into the cliché of 'non-human character gets transported to Remnant, ergo he/she/it must become a Faunus to interact with the characters'.**

 **Guest: hello, mind-reader! Thanks, I'm going to keep trying to impress all of you, so if anyone thinks I'm failing to make the story entertaining, please tell me. Meanwhile, here you go! *throws a drill close to the closet* I'm rooting for ya!**

 **I was planning on making a small omake (something like a Chibi of this, idk), but that would make this too long. Maybe next time.**

 **Remember to Read and Review for 'Unlimited powaaaaaaaaah!'**

 ***cough* r/prequelmemes *cough***

 **Have a great day!**


	5. Chapter 3: Trust goes both ways

**A.N.: hello there! I have managed to get this out this week! Yay! I still have two more weeks of exams but I'll keep trying to get the chapters out on time.**

 **I read the reviews and decided unlocking Gore's Aura. I already had a Semblance for him, but I wanted to make sure I wasn't giving him too much of an advantage.**

 **With that said, enjoy!**

* * *

 **Black Dragon, White Rose**

 **Chapter 3**

 **Trust goes both ways**

 **/ Gore P.O.V. /**

The morning started calmly. I groaned and stretched my legs while my feelers showed me the cave I had grown accustomed to. I felt the heat on my skin, coming from the hole in the ceiling. Waking up, I noticed that the woman, Summer, was still asleep. Her presence reminded me that tomorrow was going to be her last day here, and she would return to the other humans.

Strangely enough, I wasn't as worried as I was when I made that deal. Maybe it was because I had been living with her, but I feel that she wasn't lying when she said she wouldn't come back for me. She hadn't tried to run or fight me, and she was nice enough to answer my questions, even if I didn't knew half of what she talked about.

I yawned and went to the small waterfall on the wall. I still had today and tomorrow to search for a new place to live, then I could start to search for my way back to the steppes. I wasn't too worried about my territory, but if I didn't get back to my sister, she may lose her sanity completely. I can't understand what is to feel so much pain, but my presence seems to calm her down and ease her mind.

I stopped drinking and moved outside of the room, with the human still sleeping. Normally, I would go hunting, but I was feeling lazy and decided to make use of the fishes in the lake. On my way there, I passed through the room with the crystals on the walls. I still haven't got used to being able to see some things, but the crystals on that room were a _sight_ to behold.

Hehehe. I never thought I would be saying that, and I still don't have eyes.

I passed the room and moved to the lake. Humans used a cord tied to a rope to fish, I simply used my scales and hairs. When one stuck to a fish big enough, I waited outside very still until it passed close to me, lashing with one of my claws and grabbing it.

I did just that and managed to catch a couple of them. I felt the woman enter the room while I waited for a third. "Good morning!" She said, walking towards me. I grunted without moving and lashed at the last fish. I moved my wingarm to its neck and crushed it, killing it and throwing it to the pile with the other two.

"Not going out hunting this morning?" I shook my head to the question and she laid a hand on her hip, raising an eyebrow and smiling. "Feeling lazy, I see." I looked at her, surprised at how she figured out. "I have two daughters and my husband teaches class on a combat school, so I know when someone is faking a sickness or just being plain lazy." She chuckled and I shrugged. In the steppes, I had nothing to do most days, so I supposed the lac of regular action had made me somewhat lazy.

"It's alright." She said as she moved to the fishes I had caught. "Though I still find it funny that Tai tries to do this more times than the girls." She reached to one of them, which was almost her size, and picked it up over one shoulder as if nothing. I knew most hunters were capable of feats like this, but even them would grunt or made some sort effort. Instead, she turned around and smiled at me before exiting the room. "C'mon, I'm hungry and I don't want to wait for you."

Wait for me? If you're hungry, just eat. Maybe this was one of the thing humans did for 'politeness'. In any case, I grabbed the other two and followed behind her. She hummed a tune, walking in front of me and I listened intently as she started singing.

" _Let's go in the garden._

 _You'll find something waiting._

 _Right there where you left it._

 _Lying upside down."_

We reached the room where we had been sleeping and she stopped singing. She placed the fish on the ground and started peeling of the scales with her sword. I growled softly and twisted my head to the side, bringing her attention to me. She had never sang that song, or sang in general. "Oh, that? Well, when Ruby or Yang are having trouble sleeping, I sing them that song. It always calms them down."

A lullaby, then? It was nice, and she sang quite well. I could understand why her daughters would fall asleep with it. It was relaxing. I nodded and started eating one of the two fishes while she started the fire in the center of the room. After we finished our meal, I decided to rest a bit before going out to search. Taking a look at the woman, I noticed that she seemed nervous, taking small glances at me and at the exit of the room.

After a few seconds she sighed and turned to look at me. "Um, Gore, I wanted to ask a favor of you. If you don't mind, of course!"

I raised my head and turned it to the side. "Well, I haven't exited this cave in a few days, and I know that tomorrow I'll be free to go! But I wanted to be outside, even if it's just for a while."

Normally, I would have immediately denied her request, but I started to think about it for a moment: she had been trustable up until now and had kept her part of the deal. Besides, she couldn't outran me: the next town was a day at foot. And she kept giving me that cute but _obnoxious_ look.

I got up from where I was, but before I could do anything else, she appeared right at my face. "C'mon, please! This cave is starting to feel claustrophobic and only being able to look outside from the entrance it's starting to grow boring!"

…

This presented a _great_ opportunity to have some _payback_ on the names. I smiled, sat and did a gesture I saw many humans use when hey were thinking: I brought one of my wingarms to my chin and tapped it while looking up. "Oh, don't be like that! Please! It's boring in here!"

I couldn't help but let out a small chuckle when she zipped around trying to be in front of my head. She heard and stopped. "Wait…" She glared at me and I started laughing at her. "You jerk! Why are you laughing!?"

I stopped and gestured her to follow me. She did so, without relenting on her glare, until we reached the exit. "You… are going to let me do this?" When I nodded, instead of happiness, she frowned and me and shouted again. "That's why you were laughing! You pulled a prank on me!"

I nodded and chuckled again, but to my surprise she giggled too. "I must admit, I didn't see that one coming. But!" Her smile was innocent and her eyes were closed, but I could feel the true intentions behind it. It sent chills down my spine. "I was feared at Beacon because of my pranks, and I haven't lost the touch. You'll regret doing that."

I don't know why, but that smile spoke of consequences, and it was creeping me out. I composed myself and worried about the present. I extended my wings and she smiled. "Thanks. So… do I climb up or…?"

Yeah, no. The only times a human has hopped in back, they started stabbing me. She may not do that, but I wasn't going to risk it. I simply grabbed her, gently this time, and let myself fall down. She started screaming when I didn't fly up, only to gain altitude at the last second. Her screams stopped and she opened her eyes.

I spared her a look, just as she turned down to the ground, and grabbed my claw. "Whoa! O-okay, we're really high." I chuckled at her reaction and kept flying. Seeing as how we had already eaten and I couldn't search for new caves with her, I decided to go to the ruins where I found her.

…

Okay, where I _kidnapped_ her. It may be risky, but I doubt being around the forest with those… Grimm, I think, was going to be very fun.

With that set, I sped up and reached the villages several minutes later. I moved close to the ground and dropped her carefully before landing. She crouched and settled her now wild hair before looking at me. "Okay, that was fun, but it would have been better if I was on your back." She looked around, realizing where we had landed. "Here, huh…"

She seemed sad, but she shook her head. "Not much that I can do now." She turned to me. "Right. Let's take a look around, maybe I can find some supplies or a couple of warm blankets." I nodded and we both walked down the street. The town was small, but well organized in small blocks of shops and houses, taking advantage of all the space. I could feel some of those Grimm but they were few and small, so nothing problematic.

We reached the main street and I saw the place where we first met. When I first arrived at this village, I was surprised to find humans here, especially fighting each other, but when that woman ordered the beasts to kill the only Silver Eyed human there, I decided to intervene. And I honestly don't regret it: I had some fun with those things, got the sword out of my chest and found a nice human.

Despite the circumstances, I count that as a win.

"Oh gods…" I didn't need to turn to know what she was seeing: the corpse of the woman that had tried to kill her was still impaled on that metal rod. Here face was one of shock, though she was completely limp. "Not that she didn't ask for it, but still…"

I was focused on something else, though. I walked close to the corpse and realized that my Virus was still roaming in her body. When a host died, the Virus died with it, but _somehow_ , it had survived inside this woman. Now that I was close, I could feel it feeding off _something_ , but I didn't know what. No new offspring would be born of her, but the Virus had sustained itself on something for days after her death, and it _wasn't_ her body.

"Something wrong?" I turned to look at my temporary companion and shook my head. Not that I could explain it anyways and I wasn't going to harm her, so it didn't matter if she knew or not. "Well, I remember a shop for with equipment made for travelers when I first arrived here. Maybe we can find something there, like food or a map."

That last word caught my attention. If we found a map, I could find a way back to the steppes. I nodded quickly and proceeded to follow her. On our way there, one of those bear Grimm tried to attack us, only for her to kill it in a single swing, cutting the head in half without resistance. "Wow, this sword is amazing. I didn't even feel it cutting the Grimm."

"I wonder…" She stopped and started looking around, zipping with her strange power from one place to another. "Aww, it's not here! I just hope Qrow has Petal and Thorn." I guessed she was talking about her weapons, but I couldn't see them anywhere either. "Do you, um, _see_ my weapons?"

When I shook my head, her shoulders slumped down. "Not much I can do now. Let's keep going." We reached the shop soon after, although, like the rest of the town, it was destroyed as well. Luckily, the inside seemed to have survived somewhat. "Good, we're here. I'll take a look inside, you stand guard for anything that comes around."

I nodded, but I also took the chance to look inside with my feelers. It didn't take me long to find a section with maps. Some of them detailed the zone around the town while others seemed to cover the continent we were in. I was just happy that I could 'read' them, as I could feel the differences between the parts with ink and the ones with not.

A problem appeared, however, when I couldn't find anything familiar to me. The most I had got was the continent and the villages around. I did find one big mark named 'Mistral', and recalled the woman talking about it being a main city the humans were in. I could feel more maps but they were all covered, broken or with something blocking part of it.

I grumbled and the head of my companion popped up from some rubble. "Is something wrong?" I shook my head and pointed at the section with the maps. "Wait there!" She dashed through the store and looked at the maps. "You want these?" I nodded and she proceeded to pick all of those she could.

Now covered in maps, she exited he ruins. "What do want need me to do with them?" I placed one of my hands in the ground and then pointed at the maps. "You want me to extend them?" I nodded and she proceeded to do just that, using some pebbles to keep them form flying away. "Buf, there were a lot of them. I'm going to go and see if I find ant more food for me."

I nodded absently as I scanned the maps. I moved one by one, focusing intently on _anything_ that might resemble the steppes, the mountain or any other place I knew. Unfortunately, the more detailed maps only covered the zones close to this town. Seeing as how I wouldn't find anything in those maps, I moved to those which covered a bigger part of this place.

By the looks of it, I was in a big continent, with an enormous lake on it and one of the main cities she mentioned humanity was stuck in. I had never seen a map with this continent on it, so I searched for those covering even more. But instead of finding anything to guide me back to my sister, I just became more worried.

The map which covered more land depicted the continent I was in and several others: one at the top, which I guessed was north, with another marking named 'Atlas', another continent with no markings between the one at the north and the last big continent, which seemed to host two of those cities, 'Vacuo' and 'Vale'. There was a large island at the corner of the map, with a marking and the name 'Menagerie'.

I didn't care for those, though, as I went over the maps again and again. I had never seen any maps like this from any town or city I had spied on. "Have you found what you were looking for?" The woman stepped outside, carrying a backpack, full to the brim of something. I shook my head and she walked to look at the maps. She picked one with all the continents. "Well, this is a map of the entirety of Remnant, so if what your searching is not here, then…"

…

No.

That couldn't be right. I knew how the humans had mapped the continent I was in and it looked nothing like those. I growled and inched closer to her. She turned at me and showed the map. "I promise I'm not lying. We have scouted everything in search for places without Grimm, and when I say 'everything', I mean _everything_. Trust me, the only few places we haven't searched are those with so many Grimm that we couldn't take a step without someone dying."

I tried to see _any_ lie in her words. I tried with all my being to believe that she was wrong, but a small part of me started putting the pieces together: black beast that I can _see_ , disappearing into thin air, humanity trapped in four cities I know nothing about and maps that showed every part of a world I knew _nothing_ about.

I took a step back. No. Nonononononono. This… this couldn't be it, right? Is it a dream? It _must_ be. There was no Silver Eyed hunter, it had all been in my head. But then, I took a look at the first human I felt… comfortable around, and she gave me a worried one in return. "What is it? Something wrong?"

It all added up, in a sickening sort of way. Finally, the words of Dalamadur sounded in my head: _"Be wary of humans with Silver Eyes, Child of the Dark. The ones who have them are dangerous and destined to become great hunters. I remember the humans of old saying that they could even send monsters away from this world."_

All doubt of it was burned out of my mind. As strange as it sounded, I was on another world. A world away from my sister, ever in pain an suffering. I didn't care about the steppes, only about her. She was the only family I had left, and now we were both alone. My mind became plagued with questions: would she be alright, who would keep her sanity, how long until the hunters…?

"Gore, what's wrong?" I looked up and saw her. For a moment, a treacherous thought appeared in my mind: _she_ was a Silver Eyed warrior. If I could force her to use the sword on me, there might be a chance I could be back at my world. It was discarded almost immediately: she also had a family herself, not to mention that she might not even know the ritual the hunter used to send me here. Besides, there was no way to make sure I would end up home.

So, this was it, huh? Trapped in a strange world with no way back. My legs trembled for a moment and I let myself fall down. I stood there for a few seconds before she walked up to my face and kneeled close to it. "You... are not from here, are you? From Remnant, I mean." I shook my head. "That's why you were looking at the maps. To find your home." I nodded this time. Even if I didn't care for the steppes, my sister was all the family I had left, and I didn't want to be _alone_.

Even if I lived by myself in the steppes, I always had my sister at a few hours of flight, or Dalamadur if I wanted to talk with someone. But here… here I was completely and utterly _alone_. Not only that, but my sister was now on her own.

A part of me wanted to get angry: to go in a rampage and destroy everything in the town. But, whether it was the shock of all of this or something else, I simply didn't find the energy or the will to do it.

The woman moved closer to me. "Do you have a way to get back?" I turned my head to her and shook it. She looked down and then back at me. "I'm sorry." I didn't do anything as she continued. "I'm sorry I can't help you. Even if you took me away, you have been nice to me. I wished more people could be like you." She then chuckled. "Without the kidnapping, of course."

Even with all of this happening, I couldn't contain a faint smile. "And, hey, don't loose hope! Remnant is very big. I'm sure you can find a way back home. Do you have family to return to?" I nodded. "Then fight not for you, but for them. My family is what keeps me going forward, and there's nothing stronger than someone that fights for their loved ones." Her smile only reassured her words, pure and honest.

I couldn't help but agree with what she was saying. This world was as big as mine at least, and there's bound to be someone that knows some way to go back home, something that spared the wo- _Summer_ from leaving her own family. I'm sure there was someone else with Silver Eyes in this Remnant.

I rose from my position and nodded to her. She was right. I couldn't just lay down and die. I wasn't going to let the hunters win. They wanted to get rid of me so badly? Then they would have to _kill_ me, and I wasn't going to go easy on them. And if they hurt my sister…

I would rain hell on each an every single one of them. _Slowly_.

And my brother may not have been the nicest of us three, but he always kept the two of us safe. And he would be disappointed if I didn't fight. Maybe I had grown complacent in the steppes, but here I needed to fight, I needed to survive.

Here I wasn't feared nor respected, not even known. That brought its own advantages and disadvantages: I could lay low and find a way back home easier, but the moment I am found, things could get even harder than back at my world. But I wasn't going to give up. Not when I did have something to fight for.

I stood up completely. I looked down at the woman in front of me and she smiled. I moved my wingarns to the ground, cracking it, and roared from the top of my lungs. A few seconds passed, with me not stopping and Summer covering her ears. I finished my roar and breathed. I felt better, _much_ better.

"I'm glad I got your spirits up, bur don't do that so close to me!" She massaged one her ears. "I think even my Aura activated just to protect my ears from that roar." Suddenly, her head perked up and looked at me. "You don't know what Aura is!"

The what? What are you talking about? She noticed my confusion and laughed nervously. "Because you're from another world and all that." She brought her hand to her chin. "That actually explains a lot…" She shook her head and cleared her throat. "An Aura is the physical manifestation of our soul. It protects us and enhances us in general with better stamina, strength and resistance. It also heals our wounds if they manage to go through it."

That sounded extremely useful. If hunters on my world had this, it may mean the end for many of us. I'm glad that this Aura is only on this world. "There's a couple of ways to unlock someone's Aura: they can do it themselves by different ways, like training or an extreme situation, or you can have someone unlock it for you. Even animals can have it!"

That also explain why she is stronger than she seems. "Apart from it, everyone has a different Semblance." I turned my head to the side and she laughed. "I'm getting there. A semblance is a power different to each person. It's not exactly known what defines a Semblance: some say it's personality, but others say that is an expression of individuality. In any case, it's different from one person to another, though there are exceptions, like the Schnee family, which is hereditary."

I listened intently to what she was saying and thought on it: a shield that not only protects and heals you, but is also able to strengthen your attacks. Oh, and it came with a random power as an extra.

Yep, I'm glad hunters back on my world don't have it.

Her small giggle made me return to the present. "You know, you remind me of when I explained to Ruby and Yang what Aura was. Well, except for you being a dragon, and being completely black, and covered in scales, and without eyes, and…"

So I remind you of your daughters...

…what?

She rubbed the back of her head. "Okay, you're nothing like my daughters. Well, um… moving on!" I let her continue while laughing at her antics inside. "The only ones that don't have it are the Grimm. They don't have a soul so they don't have an Aura." I nodded at that. It made sense, even if we were talking about a different world.

"The reason why I'm telling you this is that, if you're going to travel to find a way back home,

I'm going to unlock you're Aura!"

…

What!?

* * *

 **/ Salem P.O.V. /**

The extension of red and black rocks covered everything here. Even my tower was reflected in the same lights. The few that were in here, anyways. Grimm roamed the land and nothing was heard apart from their growls and roars.

Sometimes I wish I could go to the beach and change the scenery.

The doors to my hall opened and I turned to greet one of my loyal servants: Arthur Watts. He was one of the many that had seen the truth and agreed to serve under me. Even he if could be overconfident and condescending to the others, his knowledge was invaluable. Besides, even if he had his own objectives, he was afraid enough to be loyal to me.

"Sorry to intrude, ma'am, but I'm afraid I bring bad news." He said, with one hand behind his back and the other doing small gestures.

"Is this about Beige's mission on Mistral?" He nodded. "Then, speak."

He straightened his posture. "I'm afraid she hasn't reported for the past days and her last transmission was sent before engaging Summer Rose and Qrow Branwen. One of my spies reported that the Branwen made it back to civilization, but we have no news from Beige nor about the Silver Eyed warrior."

I could feel his nervousness, and I wasn't hiding my scowl either. "And the Maiden of Spring?"

"Qrow was alone when he returned, and, in her last report, Beige was still searching for her." He shook his head slightly. "I'm afraid we lost track of her, ma'am."

Those were indeed bad news, but they weren't completely unsalvageable. "If the Maiden wasn't with Qrow, then that means Ozpin doesn't have her. And, by what you're saying, Summer Rose is also dead."

He cleared his throat. "I'm afraid we don't have a way to confirm that just yet. But Tyrian is close to her last known location. I can tell him to search for Beige and Summer, while he keeps an eye for the Maiden."

Hazel was occupied in Vacuo and I needed Arthur on Atlas. "Very well. Instruct him to do so, but tell him to not engage with any huntsmen that he finds. He will only fight them if he is discovered. Is that clear?"

The scientist nodded. "Yes, ma'am." He turned around and opened the door, but before he exited, he asked me one last question. "If I may ask, what will you be doing in here?"

I smiled. "Train little Cinder, of course. She is destined to become our own Maiden and steal that power from Ozpin."

I didn't fail to see the short expression of disgust from him, but I paid it no mind. "Of course. I shall contact Tyrian immediately."

I returned to my own thoughts when he left. I had send a formidable amount of Grimm with Beige, enough to best any huntsmen that tried to stop her, and she was a skilled fighter in her own right. Maybe I had underestimated Summer Rose, but the Silver Eyes didn't make her invincible. As for the Maiden, it could wait. It was a shame we couldn't grasp that opportunity, but other would arise soon enough, and I could wait.

The doors to my hall creaked as they opened and I turned to receive my new visitor. "Right on time. Are you ready to continue your training, Cinder?"

A young teenager stepped inside. The main piece in my plan that would make Ozpin fall, and the future Maiden under my command. The girl nodded, still afraid of me, but determined to be powerful. _Good_. She will make a fine Maiden.

* * *

 **/ Gore P.O.V. /**

Was it even possible to do it? I mean, I _know_ I have a soul, but isn't that Aura thing only for humans and animals? We are literally considered monsters in my world, and I'm sure many humans back there consider us soulless.

It seems I wasn't the only one with doubts. "I have never unlocked an Aura of a dragon, as you could guess, but Tai did it with our dog Zwei, so how hard can it be?"

Why would you compare me to a dog!? I'm _nothing_ like it!

Noticing my annoyance, she laughed and waived her hand. "Don't worry, I was joking!" She stepped closer and extended her hand. "Now, I need you to stay still."

I took a step backwards, not out of fear, but out of habit. I haven't even agreed to anything! Not yet, at least. "Oh, don't worry. I'm sure everything will be fine. And I promise not to harm you." She said with a smile. Maybe it was the time I had spend alongside this human, but I felt I could trust her. Partially, at least.

"I'm starting to think you didn't have very good relationships with the humans in your world, with all the kidnapping and keeping your distance most of the time." She said with a thoughtful face. No, really!? I hadn't even noticed! My, you're a genius! My thoughts were conveyed with detail by lowering my head and growling. "Well, I don't know anything about your world, so you can't blame me!"

She sighed. "Listen, I know you may not trust humans" understatement of the year, "but I promise you I'm trying to help." Looking at her, she did seem honest and I wouldn't say no to something that could help me return to my world. I stepped closer to her and she smiled.

"You won't regret it, trust me." She moved her hand forward slowly and reached to my head. I could feel the warm and soft skin of her hand. It was strange, but relaxing at the same time. "Wow, your scales are much smoother than I thought." She starts moving her hand around, but as much as it felt nice, I rather get this over with. I grumbled and she seemed to snap out of it. "Oh! Right, sorry."

She closed her eyes and I could sense a strange light covering her. "For it is in passing that we achieve immortality." Wait, that line…

"Through this, we become a paragon of virtue and glory to rise above all" They were the same words that the hunter had used to banish me here! But it felt… different. There wasn't a blinding light and I could feel energy flowing through her.

"Infinite in distance and unbound by death." I was tempted to stop her, but she seemed confident about what she was doing. My instincts screamed at me to jump away, to attack, to do _something_. But I remained still, trusting Summer.

"I release your soul, and by my shoulder protect thee." I had barely realized the last sentence had changed when a wave of energy entered my body. I felt the very _core_ of my being reacting to it and, in barely a second, a wave of _my_ own energy covered me. It felt _amazing_ , as if a power inside me had awoken.

This created a problem, though. When my own energy covered my body, it pulsed with all of its strength, sending Summer flying a few meters away. I heard her scream and saw her land away from me. I moved quickly to her side, but relaxed when I saw her cough and clutch her side. She seated herself and looked at me. "I'm fine, I'm *cough* fine. Just didn't expect you to have so much Aura. In hindsight, you're a Goliath-sized dragon, so that should have given me a clue." She laughed and stood up carefully. "Well, that was quite the experience."

I looked at my claw and, to my surprise, I could _see_ myself, or more specifically, the light surrounding it. "Oooh, purple. Yep, that color definitely fits you. And don't worry about not knowing how to use it. Aura is like a muscle: the more you practice with it, the easier it becomes. Try it."

I concentrate and focus that energy on my paw, and found the light around it shine, feeling it stronger than usual. With a quick move, I made a fist with it and smashed the ground. I didn't put much effort behind it, but the ground cracked and I could see Summer hop a few centimeters off the ground with it.

"Wow, you really pack a _punch_." We stood in silence for a second. Then, she groaned and slumped down as I laughed. "Dust damn it, Tai. I know this is your fault." She shook her head. "Anyway, that's your Aura. Now we only need to find your Semblance, though don't worry. It can take a _lot_ of time to find it."

While she talked, I realized a thin line had now appeared on what I assumed was her soul: the flame on her chest. Following the line, I noticed it had connected her soul to mine. I tried doing anything with it, but it was clear it wasn't something I could touch.

I could worry about that later. _'I wanted to thank her, anyway, but it was going to be a little hard without being able to speak.'_ "Oh, you don't need to thank me."

She looked at me wide eyed and I remained silent. "Did… did you just…?"

' _What? I haven't done anything.'_ "There it is again! Are you… speaking?" _'What!? No! I can't speak human language.'_ "B-but I'm hearing your voice!" _'My voice? What are you talking about? Wait…'_ "Am I... hearing your thoughts?"

' _That… what? Just, what?'_ "I-I don't know! Maybe it's your Semblance!" _'Can it work like that?'_ "Yes? No? Semblaces are weird. I can teleport short distances, Qrow has a field of bad luck around him and Yang gets stronger with each hit she takes." She explained. "So I don't know. Maybe there's more to it?"

I didn't feel anything else, but, looking at the light in the chest of Summer, I could feel something in it. It felt familiar, it felt like… me, with lack of a better word. She noticed my stare. "Is something on my face?" _'No, there's something with the light in you.'_ "What? What light are you talking about? My soul?"

That could be it, so I nodded. She raised her eyebrow and looked at me. "You do realize that now we can speak with more than nods and growls, right?" _'And is going to be weird getting used to it, so_ pardonme _if I don't get used to it immediately.'_ That seemed to shut her up, and I concentrated on her soul.

I could feel my own pulsing, something that hers imitated. Summer clutched her chest and looked at me. "Did you do something?" _'I think so.'_ I tried pulling on it, and something was about to happen, but it resisted. "Well, if you are, stop it! It feels weird!"

' _Let me try. I trusted you, and you are the first human who can say that. I wouldn't do this if I felt something bad would happen.'_ She sighed. "I guess you're right. Just… be careful, please?" _'Of course. You're the only nice human I know, so I don't want to kill you.'_

She looked at me for a moment before nodding. "Okay. I trust you."

 **/ Summer Rose P.O.V. /**

I didn't know what to expect when I unlocked Gore's Aura, but this was definitely _not_ it. His Aura was off the charts, and his Semblance allowed him to talk to mind through telepathy? I don't know, but it's so cool! And weird! But also cool!

I saw him concentrate while my mind wondered what questions I could ask him: how was it to be a dragon? How did he see his surroundings? What was that mist around him? What was his world like? Were there humans and Faunus there too?

I was dragged off my thoughts as whatever Gore was doing finally affected me. At first it was just a small pull, but as I let him use my soul, something happened. I closed my eyes and, for a moment, I felt as if an strange energy moved towards me, and at the same time, I could feel my own energy, my Aura flowing to him. It didn't actually drain my Aura, it was just as if it was… fluctuating.

I opened my eyes and my heart almost jumps out of my chest. I could see as I normally do, but I could also see _everything_ in my surroundings. Though 'see' wasn't he right word. It was more like… feeling the world around me in a large area, but it was completely colorless. That, combined with my eyesight, made me feel dizzy and took me a few seconds to get a hold of it.

Looking at Gore, I could feel that he was in a similar state as he moved his head around, even turning around several times. "Gore? What…?" _'I don't know…'_ Suddenly, I felt tears coming from my eyes just as a overwhelming sensation of happiness flowed through me. But I didn't had anything to make me feel like that. Then I looked back at the dragon in front of me.

"Gore? Is everything alright?" I said, as I wiped the tears of my eyes. _'I-I had never seen_ colors _. The sky, the clouds and the trees around us. It's… I had never…'_ Then, realization dawned on me. "Wait, you don't have eyes, but you say that you are able to see. Then, the feeling of the environment around me…"

He composed himself a little and I sensed that feeling of happiness leave, though not completely. _'That's how I see the world. It's far more effective but…'_ He looked down at me. I could see and _feel_ a smile on his face. _'Sorry. It's the first time I see colors, apart from silver and black, and it just… feels amazing.'_

"Wait, silver and black?" He nodded. _'Even without eyes, I can see you covered in a silver light. And those beasts, Grimm, I think you called them, I can see them in complete black.'_ I nodded. _'Sorry if I bother you, but can I stay like this for a while? I just… didn't know there could be so many colors.'_

I smiled and nodded. "Of course! I don't know how I would react to not being able to see colors. Meanwhile, we can talk, if you don't mind. I have many questions!" He smiled and sat on his hind legs. _'Is the least I can do.'_

"Great! So, um… I don't actually know where to start… Oh!" I looked back at him. "You are very polite for a dragon. Not that I thought you couldn't be, but you seem to know many things about humans." He nodded and looked to the sky. _'Back in my world, I would spy on the humans in the villages close to where I lived. I always found you interesting, and there wasn't anything else to do around there for long periods of time.'_

"So there are humans back in your world. Are there also Faunus?" He twisted his head to the side. _'Faunus? What are those?'_ I hummed in thought for a moment. It was strange that there were humans but not Faunus, but it was a different world, so I wasn't going to think to dwell much on it. "Well, Faunus are humans with animal traits, like an set of cat ears, or a wolf tail."

He turned his head to the side. _'Interesting. But no. There are no Faunus in my world. There are wyveryans, which are half-wyvern, half-human, and live for a long time. They look very similar to humans in most cases.'_ I nodded. "Hmm. And are there any more of your kind?"

' _That's a difficult question. My kind are few, but there are many other species, though most of them are as dumb as animals.'_ He answered. This was getting interesting. Maybe he could tell me more. "Really? How many?" He chuckled. _'Countless. Though there are two different… categories in which we divide ourselves: Inferiors and Elders. Inferiors are numerous, but less powerful and less intelligent. I belong to the Elders. We are, as you humans say, sentient, and extremely powerful.'_

I kept nodding as he 'talked'. _'Though we are extremely different between species. We tend to fight each other simply because of that. I will admit, we are rather violent. Some even think that the world belongs to them, killing and destroying anything, specially humans.'_ I frowned at that last sentence. "But you are nice. You haven't harmed me and you haven't killed anyone. Except for that woman."

I didn't expect him to look down and avoid my eyes. _'I… would be lying if I said I haven't.'_ Oh! Well, he said I was the first human he liked. "In self defense?" His silence didn't help my imagination. _'Not all of them. I try not to kill them any more, but only because it brings less attention if the hunters return alive.'_

That… I didn't know how to feel about it. I didn't know how the humans in his world were, though, so I was willing to give him a chance. "As long as you don't start murdering people now, I think I can forgive you." He turned his head to the side and chuckled. _'I think you misunderstood. I don't feel regret for what I've done, but I know that it I shouldn't do it , for several reasons.'_

He shook his head. _'But if you want to keep this conversation, I rather do it back in the cave. I can feel more of those black beasts coming here. Not a problem but I rather not get interrupted.'_ I realized that I could also feel them. I wanted an explanation, but I guess it could wait. "Right. Let's go."

I felt him concentrate and the connection between us stopped. I felt my senses return to normal and we were both left rather confused for a few seconds. I could still felt a small connection, seeing as how we could still speak.

 **/ Gore P.O.V. /**

We returned to the cave and kept talking there. I talked about my world, how I got here and most of my actions there. She calmed down when I explained it, but she still seemed a bit shocked. Maybe it was because I treated her nicely, but I'm still am Elder back in my world. A literal dragon of destruction, so I wasn't the best when it came to morality.

"Wow, your world seems amazing, but just as dangerous as Remnant." She was eating a piece of meat from an animal I had hunted before returning to the cave. "So, you literally named yourself after the name the humans in your world gave your species? That's not very imaginative on your part."

' _Rather that than your names! They were the worst!'_ She was about to retort, but then closed her mouth and laughed nervously. _'Were you messing with me?'_ She looked away and whistled, confirming my thoughts. _'Really? Why?'_

This time, she did look back at me. "Well, you had been behaving like a jerk for while, so I decided to have some payback." Her smile was smug, and I couldn't help but feel annoyed at it. She changed quickly, though, and became more serious. "You said your sister was the last family you had there, right?" I nodded. "Did you live with her?"

I shook my head. _'No. My kind goes through a transformation after a few years. Ascension, we call it. My brother managed it, even if he was killed afterwards. But my sister…'_ Summer kept silent and listened. _'She was attacked during her transformation, leaving her in constant pain and I had to keep my distance, for both our sakes.'_

Her eyes widened at that. _'She is the only reason I want to return. I don't care about my territory but if I don't get back to her, she may fall into madness because of the pain.'_ She kept a saddened look and I couldn't help but feel the same way. I continued, however. _'I rather not talk about it, though. I will focus on getting back, but weeping about it won't help.'_

"Right!" She nodded and picked her 'not-a-scroll'. "I do the same for my girls and Tai." Tired of not being able to see what she did with that thing, I activated that link between us again. She was surprised and held her head when we shared our senses. "Ugh. A little warning next time would be nice."

I ignored her and walked behind her to see the machine. In it, I saw a picture of her with what I assumed were her two daughters and husband. All of them were smiling while Summer held her two daughters under her arms, with a tall, blonde man behind them, grabbing the three in a hug. They all seemed very happy. I lastly noticed the small house behind them. _'Is that where you live?'_

She nodded. "Yeah, that's Patch. It's an island close to Vale. Very few Grimm are there and there's not many people either. Even if Signal is there, many students travel from Vale. It's our warm, cozy, little place in this dark world." It wasn't hard to hear the sadness in her voice, but also the pride in it. _'How far from here it is?'_

She tapped something on the machine and a image of one of the world maps I saw in the village appeared. "We are here." She pointed close to the Mistral mark. "After I leave, I need to get to the closest town, call to Beacon or Heaven, wait for an airship and then for it to take me back." She sighed. "The airship will only be about 7 or so hours, but it will take a few days until it comes here."

I was surprised by that. I could do that trip directly in 6 hours or less! A thought crossed my mind. Maybe I could… No. No, I needed to find a new place to live. Then again… "Something wrong? You know we can kinda feel each other when we are like this." She turned to face me. _'You said that island doesn't have many humans, right?'_ She nodded, though she was confused by the question. I sighed. A part of me knew I was going to regret this. _'I could take you there tomorrow.'_

Her eyes widened and a smile appeared on her face. "Really!?" The other part of me, though, kept telling me that this new world can be a new beginning, at least until I returned. _'On the condition that you help me find a way back.'_ Instead of backing out, she seemed even happier. "Of course! And, thanks. Both for taking me back there and for not using me to get back to your world. If I could return here after getting you there, I would do it, but-"

I shook my head. _'It's alright. I understand. Though you may have to keep me hidden from your family.'_ She waved her hand. "Don't worry, we'll deal with that as it comes. Luckily, most part of the island is uninhabited, so you won't have too much about being hidden, even with your size."

I nodded and returned our connection to normal. She had also explained me a few things about this world: the kingdoms, the academies and the differences between huntsmen here and hunters back in my world. Though I could feel she was hiding something when talking about the Grimm. I didn't pry, but I might ask later.

I laid down and saw Summer yawn and use her cape to cover herself. Without the fire, the room had grown cold and I could see her start to shiver, and failing to catch sleep. I sighed and raised my wing. _'Hey.'_ She opened her eyes and looked at me. _'I can see you are cold and I don't take pleasure in seeing others suffer.'_ I thought of my words for a moment. I shrugged. _'Unless they deserve it.'_

She walked towards me. "Are you sure? You don't seem to like human contact too much." She stopped right in front of me. "Not that I blame you, with humans hunting you back in your world and all that!" I shook my head. _'You have given me enough reasons to have some trust on you, at the very least. You haven't tried to kill me, and you are actually talking to me. The least that I can do is keep you warm.'_

She smiled and then raised her finger as she exclaimed. "Wait!" She unsheathed the sword that she took out of me and zipped to the other side of the room with her Semblance. She rested the sword on the ground and zipped back to me. "There! You trust me and I trust you. This way you can sleep calmly without fear of me hurting you."

' _You didn't-'_ I was about to complain, but I did feel calmer this way. _'Heh. Thank you. You really are special.'_ She smiled and stepped closer. "I've always been told that I'm a bit too trusting. But you can't make friends without trust, right?"

I nodded and she made herself between my legs. "You're sooooo warm and comfy…" I chuckled and laid my wing back down. She made herself comfortable, and before she fell asleep, she spoke softly. "Thank you." I smiled and went to sleep shortly afterwards.

This was interesting turn of events. A surprise, to be sure, but a welcome one.

* * *

Somewhere far, far away, an undercover Sith Lord sneezed in his office.

* * *

 **A.N.: And the return of Summer is bound to grab attention in the next chapter! Specially with a dragon following in her wake. Ozpin may have to execute order 66- I mean, send in the huntsmen if he finds out!**

 **And before anyone asks, Gore will still feel threatened by other humans. He just sees Summer as the exception.**

 **And yes, the song is from Adventure Time. That series is awesome in many ways.**

 **Surprise chibi OMAKE!**

Team RWBY walked down through the island of Patch, with Ruby happily hopping in front of the group, Weiss close behind and Yang and Blake talking together. Zwei trotted happily besides the red reaper

"Ruby, while I don't dislike this small trip, why aren't we going to your house? I thought you said we were going to be meeting your mother and someone you have been very secretive about." Said Weiss.

"Yeah." Blake agreed. She then turned to Yang. "You said this area was uninhabited."

Yang nodded. "It is. But mom told us he would be with him and that they would meet with us in the usual spot."

Ruby turned and walked backwards while she addressed Weiss. "And remember, not a single word about who we are meeting! He doesn't like humans, or Faunus, or anyone for that matter, too much." She grabbed Weiss by the collar and stopped. "You need to keep him secret, alright!?"

Weiss pushed Ruby away. "First, don't touch me, you dolt. And second, it's not as if you were hiding a wanted criminal." She eyed the sisters for a moment. "Are you?"

Yang shook her head. "Nah, Ice Queen. He's just… very special. We trust you enough to show him to you and we are putting a lot at risk with this. Seriously, keep it quiet." Zwei barked as if he agreed with the blonde brawler.

"Wow, you really _are_ being serious." Noted Blake. A few minutes passed and they reached a hill with red trees and white grass.

Weiss approached the cliff and looked beyond it. "Well, at least there is a good view." She turned to the sisters. "When is your mother coming?"

"Oh, she should be here any moment now." Just as Yang answered, a loud roar was heard and a large shadow zoomed from under the cliff and landed at the other side of the girls. Blake and Weiss unsheathed their weapons, but the sisters smiled when a figure with a white cloak jumped down from the dragon.

"Mom!" The two shouted and ran to Summer. She smiled and hugged them both, while the dragon stood in silence, scanning the other two arrivals.

"Oh, my girls! How have you been? How's Beacon?" She looked at the two other girls. "Oh! Are this the teammates you talked about in your cards?"

Ruby smiled and nodded. "Yeah! These are Blake and my BFF Weiss!"

"I am not your BFF! And there's a-a dragon right behind you!" A bark broke the silence as Zwei approached Gore. To Weiss and Blake's surprise, instead of being eaten, the dragon allowed the small dog to jump to his head and sit there.

Yang turned to her friends. "Weiss, Blake, this is the last member of our family. Gore, these are our teammates Weiss and Blake. And yes, he is a dragon."

"Wait, what!?" Shouted both girls. Gore simply raised one of his wingarms and waved at the two girls.

"Yeah, and he also has his Aura unlocked!" Shouted Ruby.

"What!?" Shouted Weiss.

"And he is from another world." Added Summer.

"What!?" Shouted Blake.

Before the conversation could continue, Gore turned his head to Summer and she looked at him. "Really?" She turned to the girls. "Has somebody else come here with you?"

"Nope" "Nu-uh."

That was all that Gore needed to turn around and walk until he reached a tree and threw it away, revealing Roman and Neo, with the girl holding an oversized laser gun. "Ummm… hi?"

"Girls, do you know this two?" Asked Summer, walking beside Gore and not taking her eyes off from the two unexpected visitors.

The four walked closer and Yang nodded. "Yeah, these two are a couple of criminals that have been trying to get rid of us for a while."

Summer glared with fury at the criminals as Gore growled with anger, Zwei following his example. "Is that so?" She unsheathed her blades and the skies darkened as a black mist started to form. "Ruby, sweetheart, why don't you take your friends to our home while me and Gore 'talk' with our guests."

Weiss was about to complain until Yang got hold of her, with Zwei grabbing Blake by the leg and pulling her with Ruby. "We really should do what they say. It's not going to be nice to see when mom and Gore are finished."

The team walks away just as Roman addresses Summer. "Can-can't we talk about this?"

"Nope." Answered Summer, popping the 'p'. Gore cracked the knuckles in his wingarms and growled louder. A frightened Neo shows a sing with the word 'gulp' on it before the scene ends.

* * *

 **Let me know what you think! If you have any ideas for Omakes or want to send me one, I will be more than glad to post it and give you credit for it. It can be chibi or normal, which ever you like.**

 **Now, Reviews!**

 **Asmodai18: that's good reasoning and it** _ **is**_ **a good way to prove he is not a Grimm.**

 **Slayer of the Abyss: thank you! I'll keep working on it.**

 **UndeadLord22: boi, u don't know half of it.**

 **Ill: it sure will be. And you are right, it wouldn't make sense for him to say no to a power up. And he doesn't feel too much guilt for killing, but it wouldn't make sense to kill the only human that he kinda likes. As for Zwei, you all shall see soon enough. How will the battle corgi react to the dark dragon and vice versa?**

 **SiegeXIII: thanks! Updates are on Sundays, unless something happens that stops me from writing.**

 **Raptorex: Salem is going to be so confused, not only because of Gore but also because of… future events that I will not reveal. She will be a threat, though. A** _ **big**_ **one. And don't worry, I tend to ramble too, so it's okay.**

 **Killroy122496: done and done!**

 **Piorun123456: why, thank you!**

 **Andralyng: again, thank you!**

 **Guts and Toes: no comment is insignificant. Every person that says that likes my story or points my flaws helps me keep going. As for your comment, I know what you mean. That's why I quote the words he doesn't completely understand. He will be learning, but don't expect him to become a scientist or fix a scroll.**

 **G: thank you!**

 **Can someone get a counter on how many times I've said 'thank you'? I'm so glad that you people show this much support. I don't know if it's the RWBY community of the MH one or both, but you guys show a lot of support and I can't say 'thank you' enough times.**

 **I hope you enjoyed!**

 **Have a great day!**


	6. Chapter 4: Trips and encounters

**A.N.: hello there! So, my final exam is on Monday and then I'm free! Go me!**

 **A little thig on Gore's Semblance: it's more than what you saw. I won't spoil anything, but there's more to it than just liking souls.**

 **With that said, enjoy!**

* * *

 **Black Dragon, White Rose**

 **Chapter 4**

 **Trips and encounters**

 **/ Gore P.O.V. /**

I woke calmly in the morning. My senses told me that nothing had entered the cave and that Summer was still under my wing. I yawned and was about to stretch when I realized something: Summer was grabbing and snuggling one of my legs.

This posed a… small problem.

I _wanted_ to get up, but just as I didn't like being woken up, I doubted she liked it either. And while I wouldn't feel bad for doing it, I rather not be a hypocrite. That, and that she would surely start shouting at me.

I groaned and laid my head back down, pondering my options. Luckily, she didn't take too long to wake up. I felt her stir and let go of my leg. I moved my wing and she yawned, stretching her arms while I stood up and did the same. "You know, you make up for a great bed." She finished stretching and turned to me with a smile. "Thanks. It's really cold in this cave at night."

I smiled. _'You're welcome.'_ It felt nice being appreciated, even if it was just as a bed. She moved to where she had left the blade and picked it up. While I knew that she wouldn't have attempted anything, a part of me still felt better when she settled it aside. She sheathed it and smiled back at me. _'You really want to see your family again, don't you?'_

She nodded, not bothering in hiding it. "Yeah! I'll still have to contact Ozpin and Qrow and let them know I'm fine." She waved her hand at me. "And don't worry, I won't say anything about you. Just that I escaped or something."

That was fine with me. She started setting a fire while I went out hunting, returning with a couple of boars to eat for me and one for her. One thing she had told me was that people with Aura tended to eat more that those without it. I didn't feel different from before, but it had only been a few hours.

We finished our breakfast and she went to the lake to fill a canteen that she had found in the village yesterday. I don't know if she would be able to drink mid-flight, but I wasn't going to stop her. She didn't take long, and the both of us walked outside of the cave. She held out the map and extended it on the ground. She picked a pencil from the backpack and started drawing on the map.

When she finished, she stood up. "Okay. I have marked a route on the map. You can use our connection to see it, if you want." So I did. It was always nice being able to see, even if it wasn't permanent. I looked at the map and she started explaining. "So, we are here" she pointed at a dot she had made on the map, "and Patch is here." She then pointed at an island close to Vale.

"Now, you _can't_ fly in a straight line. While the settlements might not see us or simply label you as a Grimm passing by, going over Vale will make you a target, if they don't shoot you on sight." She then pointed at the gap between the two continents. "Not to mention that we might encounter storms of flying Grimm on our way there."

Her finger went over the line she had draw, which made a turn to the north right after reaching the continent that Vale was in. "That's why we will approach Patch by the north, avoiding Vale and the settlements before it. Plus, if we encounter any Grimm, we can fight them off or escape without risk of being found."

It was simple, yet effective. I didn't know the location of the settlements, so I had to trust her knowledge on this. _'I don't have anything against it, but it will make the journey longer and I may have to make a stop to rest for a while.'_ Surprisingly, she didn't seem to be too bothered about this. "It's fine. I don't mind having to stop to rest. How long do you think it will take?" She asked eagerly.

' _If we leave now, and make a stop here,'_ I pointed at the map, _'I think we might reach your home by nightfall, maybe some time later.'_ She smiled. "That's great! But, do you really fly that fast? Won't you get tired?" I shook my head and extended my wings to full length, covering her from the sun behind me. _'I don't have this just for show, you know.'_

She giggled and nodded. "I know, I know." Before I could react, she hugged one of my legs. "This means a lot to me. That you are willing to do this…" She hugged harder. "Thank you." I was caught by surprise, but I managed to smile. _'As long as you don't reveal my presence, I don't mind doing favors to a friend.'_

The moment the word 'friend' reached her, she let go of my leg and zipped right in front of me. "Really? You consider me your friend?" She was excited, and I just realized what I had said. Could I really be friends with a human? If you would have asked me a few days ago, I would have told you 'no', without hesitation.

But now…

Summer was not afraid of me, not now at least, and she hasn't tried to hurt me or kill me in this days we spend together. She was nice, explaining to me this world, Aura and all of those things. And she hasn't lied to me, even if I kidnapped her. I still think she hides something about the Grimm, but I don't blame her, nor do I care too much. She even agreed to help me find my way back to my own world. I never thought I would be grateful about meeting a human.

Turning back to reality, I noticed that Summer was still expecting my answer with a smile. I rolled my head (the only thing I could really do without eyes), but smiled nonetheless. _'Sure. You agreed to help me and I feel I can trust you. So, yes, we are friends.'_

Her smile became brighter and hugged my head without warning. "I'm friends with a dragon! That's awesome! I consider you my friend, too!" I couldn't help but chuckle, though I was still unused to physical contact with humans. I had to shake her off, but even after that, I could still see her smiling.

Before she could return to hugging, I spoke. _'We should get going if you want to get there as soon as possible.'_ Her smile didn't falter, but she did nod. "Right! Actually… can I hop on your back? Being in your claw is really uncomfortable, and this journey is going to be very long!" I wanted to say no, but she was right. With the distance I had to cover; she wasn't going to be comfortable being grabbed by me.

I sighed. _'Fine. But how are you going to hold on my back? If I was flying slower then you might be able to hold on my scales, but at that speed, you will fall off.'_ That seemed to get her in thought, but she got an idea soon enough. "Let's go to the village first. I think I saw something that may help us."

I wasn't sure what she had seen, but I picked her up and headed to the village. I had to kill a couple of Grimm with my Virus before landing, which made me notice something. My Virus was stronger and easier to control. I may have to test it further, but if this had to do with my Aura, then it was another thing I had to thank Summer for.

She went straight to that same shop that had the maps and supplies the other day, and after searching for a while, she came out with what looked to be a rope. She moved close to me. "These ropes are made for huntsmen, they are extremely resistant and flexible. There were also saddles for horses, but they were too small for you."

What!? I was not going to let her put a horse saddle on me! _'Thank the Ancients for that! What are you going to do with the ropes, anyway?'_ She zipped close to my right side, behind my leg. "Well, the idea was to put one around your chest and back for me to hold on, and another tied up to my waist and the first rope, so that if I lose my grip, I won't fall from your back."

She then asked me to lift my wings, and she launched the longest rope over me. She crouched under my chest and started binding both ends with a strong knot. The rope ended up behind my front legs and over my back, under my wings. It wasn't as uncomfortable as I thought it would be and it didn't impede my movement. Summer then jumped on my back and, for a moment, I almost reacted out of instinct, trying to push her off. I was able to stop before she fell, though.

"You really don't like me being up here. Is there a reason?" She said, getting a hold of the rope. _'The hunters of my world try to get on my back and stab me. Sometimes, they were successful and made me lose balance, taking that chance to try and kill me while I was on the ground.'_ I sighed as I felt her tie the two ropes together. _'So you can say that I don't have good experiences with it.'_

She finished tying the ropes and tested them a couple of times. "Don't worry, I understand. I'll try not to bother you." She dropped down and, after securing both ropes and making sure they were ready, she jumped on my back. She positioned one leg on each side and grabbed the rope, laying forwards, with her chest close to my back. "Okay, I'm ready when you are."

I extended my wings and positioned myself to the west, with the morning sun behind us. I started running forwards and jumped into the air. I felt Summer stick closer to me and grab the rope with more strength. I reached high in the air and sped up until I felt an air current going in the same direction as I. With it, I could relax and let the wind help me move forward with less effort.

When she felt calmer, Summer rose her head and looked around. With my hairs and scales moving faster than us, I could feel that there were no clouds on our way for now. "Whoa! This is amazing!" She looked down and I could feel her tense up, but she didn't stop looking. "This is so much better than going in an airship!"

' _I'm glad you like it.'_ I started wondering if our link also allowed her to talk through thoughts too, but she kept talking. Luckily, Summer confirmed my precious statement. "There's not a single cloud in sight! It's beautiful!" I was starting to feel a bit jealous, so I used our link, and in the next moment, I saw what she was seeing.

It was incredible.

I could see the land and the sky come together at the end of my vision. The sky was completely blue, with the land being mostly forests with mountains and small plains. I turned my head around and I caught sight of some lakes in the forests around. I think I could even see a village or town far in the distance.

I just couldn't stop looking around, but I kept focus on our route and anything that might cause troubles. "Whohoooo!" Summer let go of the rope and extended her hands up in the air, letting out a shout of excitement.

She grabbed back before she could fall, and I couldn't help but feel excited myself. It had been a while since I had done such a long journey and it was the first time I could actually _see_ everything around me as I flew. And I had someone to keep me company through the trip.

I followed her example and let out a loud roar before speeding up, with Summer yelling happily on my back.

* * *

 **/ Qrow P.O.V. /**

I looked down at the drink in my hand while I thought on recent events. Summer was still missing, that _thing_ that took her is nowhere to be found and Leo is taking his sweet fucking time in gathering a group of huntsmen.

Then again, Mistral _did_ have the largest territory to protect, and finding huntsmen you could truly trust was difficult this days. And the circumstances of the mission didn't help. Sure, you could tell them that it was an extremely intelligent Grimm that took her, but it wasn't hard to notice that it wasn't one after you gave it a good look.

I sighed. Looking around the inn, I saw several people. In one table, on the other side from where I was, a group of travelers discussed over a map. Close to them, a few men drank loudly and happily, with several beers on the table. Regulars, if I had to guess. A few more unremarkable individuals filled the rest of the tables, and in a corner, away from the rest, three individuals, trying _too_ hard to be inconspicuous, talked in whispers.

Honestly, I didn't care too much about any of them. They lived their lives, with their own hopes and dreams, but with the fear of the Grimm always on the back of their minds. I couldn't blame them, honestly. But in a way, it also reminded me why we do what we do. Even if most huntsmen live in ignorance.

Whoever said ignorance was bliss didn't know how right they were.

I turned back to my drink. I had never drank during a mission, for obvious reasons, but also because Summer kept me in check. And, of course, if Tai caught me drinking in Signal, he would literally crucify me by the balls. Outside missions was a different thing, but even then, I tried not to drink excessively.

Now, a part of me wanted to just drink and drown my problems.

The little Summer in my head spoke of the punishment its real counterpart would make me go through if she discovered.

I downed the glass of water and calmed myself. I wouldn't stop until I found Summer and take her back to her family. And if I get to kill that thing, then I wouldn't complain. It still felt bad not telling Tai and the girls the truth, but it was for the best. Tai can't afford going into another depression like the one he had after Raven left.

Dust damn it, Rae…

Well, no use in dwelling on the past now. I needed to focus on getting Summer back.

I felt a small vibration in my pocket and pulled my scroll out. Taking a look at the caller, I couldn't help but let out a small laugh. "Hey, Leo. Please tell me you have good news."

"I do, Qrow." The man at the other side of the call answered. "I have managed to contact a team of huntsmen that have my trust. They had been out of range for a mission but they have returned recently. When I told them about your task and what happened to Miss Rose, they stepped up immediately."

Those were definitely good news. "Thanks, Leo. What have you told them?"

"You don't have to worry about that. They know about _her_ , so I felt I could trust them with the full story." He explained. "They are some of my best, even if some of them are a bit… strange."

Normally, that may have worried me, but we huntsmen are a strange bunch by definition. No other group of people represents individuality and eccentricity like us. "I can deal with that. As long as they can hold themselves up in battle, I have no problem with it."

I heard the headmaster let out a chuckle. "I'm glad to hear it. I'm afraid you'll have to wait a couple more days, though. They just arrived from a mission, and while they are eager to help, they need to rest . One of them is wounded and it will take some time for him to recover."

That did make me sigh, but I understood. "You helped a lot nonetheless, Leo. I'll be waiting for when they arrive."

"Of course. I will send you their files so you can get a grasp of their abilities before the fight." Even if Leo was getting old, he was still reliable. I ought to invite him for a drink after this. "Good luck, Qrow."

That made me stop for a moment and let out a laugh. "You do realize you are talking to walking bad luck charm, right?"

"Umm, right, sorry. Force of habit, I guess." He let out a nervous chuckle.

"It's alright. Maybe for once it does turn out on my favor." We both said our goodbyes and I hung up. Things were starting to look up and I couldn't help but feel a bit better after that talk.

The bartender strode close to me and I called him. "Get me something with alcohol, but not too strong. Going in a mission in a couple of days and I rather not have a migraine."

The burly man shrugged. "Sure."

Hold out just a bit longer, Summer. I'm not leaving you behind, not after all those times you had my back.

And when I get my hands on that dragon or whatever that fucking thing is, I'll make sure it realizes what happens when you mess with team STRQ.

* * *

 **/ Pyrrha Nikos P.O.V. /**

"Don't go too far away, sweetheart! We are going to leave for Argus soon!" My mother shouted.

"Remember that you're beginning Sanctum this year. Your training should be more than enough for the academy, but there's always room for improvement." My father followed, with a more stern voice.

To say I was excited would be an understatement! My first year at Sanctum! I can't wait to spar with the other students and to make new friends! And I also want to see what Semblances and weapons they use!

"Don't worry! I just want to explore a bit!" I shouted back, before entering the small forest outside the village.

I wasn't afraid of the Grimm here, since many huntsmen clear the forest almost every day, and there is always one or two of them around. And I knew that if a Grimm found me, the best plan was to outrun it or to climb up a tree.

I entered the forest and watched as the leaves covered the sun above me. It was warm but not hot, and I could hear the birds and other animals around me. The path that led deeper into the forest was small and with many curves, but well-kept and with many signals to not get lost.

As I walked forward, I started hearing voices. Behind a few trees, two of the patrolling huntsmen were talking between themselves. One carried two big curved swords at his back, but I couldn't get a good look at the other as she sped away in a different direction.

The other huntsmen turned around and noticed me. I waved happily at him and he took a moment before smiling and coming forward. "Hello, little girl. You're the daughter of Hector, right?" He said as he reached in front of me. He was very tall, with a short beard covering his face, long trousers and heavy boots. He wore a jacket with a short, single shoulder cape on his right shoulder. "Pyrrha, was it?"

I nodded. "Yeah! I'm exploring the forest before we leave for Argus." I explained. "I'm going to start training at Sanctum, and then I'll go into one of the four academies!"

"Well, aren't you ambitious?" He said with a chuckle. "I'm Kay, an old friend of your father. So, Sanctum, huh? Are you ready for that level of combat?"

"Of course!" I answered with a nod. "My father has been training me for a while now. I know I will be top of my class!"

Kay laughed. "Well, you have the confidence, that's for sure." He hummed for a moment. "And if the old geezer has been training you, I think you may be right."

I frowned at him. "Hey! My father is not old!"

He laughed again. "I'm just joking." He ruffled my hair and crouched in front of me. Then I noticed that the left side of his jacket had a symbol. It showed his two curved blades pointing downwards and crossing one over the other inside a circle. "You like it? It's my symbol."

I nodded and looked closely. I could see that the swords had some engravings on them. "When I get my own weapons, I will have one too!" I crossed my arms and looked down, remembering what my father had said. "I can't have them until I have more practice, but I want to have my own weapons!"

"Oh? And you already know what weapon you want?" He asked with a smile.

I put my hands behind my back and looked away. "Well, I have some ideas…"

Kay chuckled. "It's fine if you don't know what weapon you want just yet. If I remember correctly, they'll help you decide in Sanctum, though you'll have to build them with your own resources." He unsheathed one of his swords and showed it to me. "Our weapons are very important. It's better to wait a bit in order to get one that suits you, rather than rush it and end up with one you might not fight well with."

"Okay…" I wasn't very convinced, but he looked like he knew what he was talking about.

He sheathed his sword and smiled again. "In any case, I wish you the best of luck in Sanctum. Have you discovered what your Semblance is?"

I nodded. "Yes, but I want to keep it a secret. I'm still getting used to it, but it's very useful." I was proud of my Semblance. It would help me a lot in spars and competitions.

"A secret, huh?" He chuckled. "Okay, then. I won't ask. What will you do when you become a full-fledged huntress, though?"

"I want to travel the world and protect people." I said with a smile of my own. "I will be a great huntress and help all those in need!"

He nodded and rose from his position. "That's a very honorable goal. I can respect that, even if I'm a little bit more… laid back. Well, I have to get back to patrolling" He patted my head before going in the opposite direction of the other huntsmen. "It's been nice talking to you, Pyrrha. Say hi to your father from my part. And be careful inside the forest. Even if we clean up, the Grimm keep coming!" He said as he walked away.

"Don't worry, I will!" I waved at him and kept walking forward. I know many people like him settle on a town or village and defend it, but I want to do more. I want to help as many as I can.

I stopped thinking when I saw a figure in the distance. I couldn't see clearly, but it looked human and it was walking weirdly, as if it was… wounded. I moved closer and before I could get a clear view, the figure stumbled and fell.

I gasped and ran towards them. When I reached where they had fallen, I noticed it was a woman in light armor and bleeding from several wounds over her body. I could see that one of her ankles was twisted badly and she was breathing heavily.

"H-help… me…" Her voice was weak, almost like a whisper.

I tried to help her as I could, but I didn't know how to. "D-don't worry! I'll get help, y-you just…" I turned my head around, looking for any of the huntsmen around. "Help! Somebody help us! She's wounded!"

No one answered, and I didn't know what to do! I don't think I could carry her all the way to the village, even with Aura! Maybe I could try, to unlock hers, but I just couldn't remember how it went! "C'mon, Pyrrha, think! Umm, for is immortality that… No that's not how it went!"

"Pyrrha!" I turned around to see Kay running towards us. He arrived shortly and looked at the woman. "I heard your screams! Are you okay? What happened?"

I answered as clear as I could. "I-I don't know. I was walking down the path w-when I saw her trip and fall! I reached her and saw her like this!"

He looked over the woman carefully. "She's badly wounded. We need to take her to the village immediately."

I nodded and watched as Kay hoisted the woman in his arms. I followed him quickly to the village, and when we arrived, I saw my parents were already waiting for me. My mother turned to us. "Pyrrha! I'm glad, you're back! We were almost- oh gods!"

My father turned to us as well. "What- Kay?" He then noticed the woman in his arms and approached the three of us. "What happened? Grimm?"

"I don't know. Pyrrha found her wounded, and if it wasn't for your daughter, I wouldn't have gotten to her as soon as I did." My mother quickly came to my side and hugged me. I didn't wait to return it.

"Are you alright, sweetheart?"

I nodded and I could see my father relax a bit at my answer. "Good." He looked back at the woman. "Her wounds are bad, but I don't think she'll die from them. The blood loss, on the other hand…" He looked at Key. "Take her to my house. I'll stabilize her as best as I can. Hydna," he turned to my mother, "find the doctor of the town and tell him what's going on."

My mother shook her head. "He is still returning from the neighbor village, Hector." She stood up and took a look at the woman. "But I know what to do. Pyrrha, grab my hand. Let's go."

My father and Kay nodded as we all went as fast as we could to our house. I couldn't take my eyes of the woman, and I think I was the only one that heard her utter a word.

"Dragon…"

* * *

 **/ Summer Rose P.O.V. /**

As we flew over the land, I couldn't help but smile. It had already been a few hours, but the feeling of the wind and the sight of everything beneath us was just exhilarating. The ropes held tight and Gore had already turned north, right after we crossed the gap between Anima and Sanus. Everything was going great.

Except for the pain I was starting to feel on my legs and butt!

It was like riding a horse, but worse! Not that I have many experience in that field, but I know people that use them for travel, and they always end up with pain in their muscles after a long journey. On the other hand, Gore looked as if hadn't been travelling for hours. Maybe it was because he was used to this, but I needed to get down and stretch my legs! We hadn't even stopped to eat and it was already a couple of hours into the afternoon!

I tapped his back a couple of times to get his attention. "Gore! I think now would be a good time to take a rest!" I shouted over the wind.

He turned his head towards me, even if he had stopped using my eyes a while back. _'Sure. We can stop if you want, but let's get closer to the mountains first.'_

I nodded. His Semblance was strange: he said that he saw a line between our souls, which I'm guessing it's what allows us to talk like this. But it seems like he can also amplify it to use my eyes, allowing me to use his own senses as well. Maybe there's more to it, but right now, none of us knew.

We kept flying for a while until something caught my eye. Smoke. And not the kind someone would make when they went camping. It was too big and extremely black. "Gore, over there!" I pointed in the direction of the smoke. After a moment of silence, I could feel a sigh through our connection. _'Summer, or you either start being more specific about what you see, or be prepared to have me use your eyes every time you do something like this.'_

My cheeks reddened and I rubbed the back of my neck. How do I keep forgetting that!? "R-right! There's smoke in that direction, and it's too big for it to be a camp!" I felt him pull on our connection and turn his head to where I was pointing. _'Definitely too big. What about it?'_

He slowed down and stopped in midair. "What if someone is in danger? We have to check!" he shook his head. _'You do realize that I'm still a dragon and that the people will most probably treat me as a Grimm, right?'_

"Please, people might be in danger! I can't leave them to their own luck! Please!" I could hear him groan, but he turned in the direction of the smoke shortly after. "Thank you! You do not need to fight, just drop me close to the smoke!"

After a couple minutes of flying, my worries were confirmed. A small town was engulfed in flames, and I could see Grimm running around, along with howl and screams. Before Gore could land, I untied the rope and stood up on his back. _'What are you-'_

"Don't worry. If there's one thing they teach us in Beacon, is landing strategies." Now closer to the ground, I jumped and I used my Semblance to slow my fall until I grabbed a branch. I jumped to the ground and sped up to the town.

When I reached it, I could see that the situation was bad. _Really_ bad. The Grimm were running rampart, some pursuing humans and Faunus that tried to run for their lives, while others tried to bring down buildings and houses. I looked at my hip, and while I didn't have Petal and Thorn, I still had a weapon that I could use.

 **(Play: Die by Jeff Williams and Casey Lee Williams. Link at the A.N.)**

Without hesitation, I launched myself forward and cut the head off a Beowolf that was chasing a woman. The rest of the pack caught sight of me and one of them ran straight at me, only to be impaled at the chest and thrown over to the side. Another two charged forward while the rest of the pack tried to surround me.

I dodged to the side the swipe of one of the two and jumped over the other one, slicing at its neck while I flew over it. It collapsed and the other one charged at me. I ducked and cut its leg off, before moving behind him and stabbing right through its body.

I didn't have time to celebrate as my instincts screamed at me, and I rolled forward before turning around and throwing my sword at the head of the Grimm that had tried to bite me. I dodged another attack, grabbed the sword, and parried the claw aimed at the back of my neck. I followed by swinging upwards, decapitating the Beowolf.

The Alpha attacked next, followed by the rest of the pack. I ran towards it, slid under its legs and stabbed its back. Before it could turn around, I used my Semblance to teleport in front of a surprised Grimm. I stabbed it in the chest and used my Aura to strengthen myself, throwing the dissipating corpse at two of its companions.

I side stepped another claw, cut the arm right off and sliced its body in half. While the other two stood up, the Alpha and the last one standing charged at me. I teleported behind the smaller one, cutting it in half, from shoulder to leg. I dashed to the other two that now stood, elbowed the first one before stabbing right through its neck and decapitated the other before it could react.

Before the Alpha could grab be from the back, I zipped up in the air and stabbed my sword through his head. Looking around, I saw the woman that they were after, hiding in a corner of an alley. I ran up to her. "Are you alright?"

She nodded, still trembling. "I-I got s-separated from the rest. T-they're in the town hall, in the bunker under it, waiting for huntsmen from B-beacon."

I nodded and grabbed her by the hand, running towards the building she pointed at. I dealt with a couple of Ursas on the way, but managed to reach it safely. I could see the door was barricaded, but after a couple of hard knocks and shouts, it opened, and two men lead us inside before blocking it again.

 **(End song)**

One of them took the woman to some sort of basement I assumed was the bunker. "I'm glad you are here, miss." Said the other man, who looked older, but still held himself with strength. "But I don't think you can take on all of them on your own."

Well, good thing I wasn't alone, but first… "Is there anybody else outside?"

The man looked down sadly and shook his head. "A group of bandits attacked and killed our huntsman. He bought us time, though, and most of us managed to hide here and in the bunker. Then the Grimm followed after they left and killed everyone left outside. That you found Violet alive is a miracle."

While I couldn't help but feel sad, I needed to stay focused, and with no one outside, Gore could help me. "Then I'll take care of them. You make sure everyone is safe in the bunker." He was about to protest when I reached the door. "Don't worry. I'm not alone."

I stepped outside and quickly made my way to the roof. "Let's hope this works." I focused on my scaled partner and tried something. _'Gore, can you hear me?'_

There was a moment of silence before I got an answer. _'Yes, I can. It seems this works both ways. What is it?'_

' _I need your help. The people are safe and they won't see you, and I could use your help with these Grimm.'_ Before I got an answer, a loud caw made me turn around, only to see a human-sized Nevermore closing in on me.

A black figure crashed onto it and ripped its head off before landing beside me. _'There's a lot of them. I hope you are ready.'_ I smiled and nodded. "Always."

 **(Play: [Glitch Hop or 110BPM] - Tristam - Till It's Over [Monstercat Release] (0:34))**

I jumped down and charged at the closest group of Grimm. I sliced through two Beowolves before coming face to face with an Alpha Ursa. That I cut in half a second later. I had to dodge a Borbatusk before engaging with another Ursa. More Grimm closed on us, but most of then headed for Gore, which dispatched them with ease.

I struck the charging Borbatusk down and turned around to face another Ursa. The fight went on as more and more Grimm disappeared into smoke. When I glanced at Gore, I saw that he had been dealing with the heavy hitters, like Taijitus and Deathstalkers.

Right now, he had teared off the stinger from one of them and blew up its head by blasting a ball of his Virus on the giant scorpion. I turned to focus on my own fight as several Creeps attempted to head-butt me, while a group of small Nevermores was circling around to dive. I rushed the Creeps, killing a couple of them before grabbing one by the legs and using it as a makeshift shield from the dive attack of the black birds.

I killed the Creep and proceeded to do the same with the rest around me. Several dead Grimm later, a loud sound caught my attention and I turned to the entrance of the village. From the forest, a group of rocks forming a four legged structure, similar to an animal, came out and started running towards me and Gore. A Geist, and a big one at that.

I didn't need to talk for Gore to notice the new arrival, as he dispatched the King Taijitu he was fighting, and followed by attacking with his Virus. The unexpected attack mad the Grimm stop and cover its face, but the force behind it made the Geist skid a couple of meters backwards.

I managed to reunite with him. "Hitting it normally won't work! The only weak point is the head!" Most of the Grimm had been dealt with, and those few that remained weren't too much of a threat. _'Got any ideas, then?'_

I nodded. "Distract it. I'll surround him and attack from behind." He nodded and we both went to work. He charged directly at the Geist, with the Grimm meeting him head on. I used this to move to the rooftops and try to get behind it as fast as possible.

My run was interrupted a couple of Griffons moved in front of me. One tried to bite my head off, only for me to duck and cut one of its legs in a single swing. Seriously, this sword cut through Grimm like butter. The other one forced me to block a swipe of its claw and I had to jump backwards to avoid losing half my body.

The Grimm took no time to charge at me and I was almost pushed to the edge of the building. Thinking quickly, I moved aside, letting all the force behind the Grimm push it forward, which I used to slice it in half before it fell down the building.

I let out a sigh, and when I turned around, I found that the other wounded Griffon had sneaked up on me and was about to tackle me off the building. I was saved, though, as a ball of black mist exploded on the side of the Grimm, killing it and throwing it away from me. I looked down and threw a thumbs up at Gore, who nodded before returning to pound the Geist.

I kept moving and reached a building at the end of the street, behind the fight. "Gore!" My giant friend looked at me. "Pin it!" He nodded and roared at the face of the Grimm. Gore then charged at it, swatting away its legs from in front of it and using his wingarms to push it to the building where I was standing.

With the strength of the dragon, the Grimm was embedded into the building, making me almost lose balance. I managed to hold on and looked down to see that Gore was charging his Virus right at the face of the immobilized Geist. That gave me an idea and I moved to the other side of the building, before running back where the Grimm was and jumping at it just as Gore finished his attack.

The force behind it made the head of the construct look up, exposing its weak point. I twisted around, with the sword in both my hands, and nailed it right at the singular eye of the Grimm. Instead of a screech or a roar of pain, it let out something similar to a loud whisper. I jumped away and landed on Gore's back just as the Grimm disappeared and the remaining rocks fell to the ground.

 **(End song)**

We were both breathing heavily, but I was okay and he didn't look injured. "Are you okay?" He stayed silent for a moment, before recovering his breath and, to my surprise, he began to laugh. _'So much for taking a rest.'_

I couldn't help but snort at that. "Yup. Welcome to my day-to-day life." This time, it was him who snorted. _'In a way, I'm glad it turned out like this. I was getting bored, though maybe next time we should_ town _it down, for the sake of the buildings.'_

There was a short second in which I realized what he just said.

And I groaned. "Ugh, that's it! You're going nowhere near Tai or Yang!" I shouted to him. "I already have enough with them to even add a third one!"

I don't know if he was laughing at my expense or at his own pun, but it was cut short as he raised his head. _'Something is coming through the air.'_ I focused once more and grabbed the rope on his back. "More Grimm?"

He shook his head. _'They don't look like it. It's almost as if they were big birds with their sides opened and they are carrying… humans?'_ I realized what he was talking about and quickly tied the rope to my waist. "Those are bullheads with huntsmen in them! If you don't want to be discovered, then we need to go, now!"

' _On it.'_ This time, instead of taking off after running to catch speed, he simply jumped up in the air and started flapping its wings to move upwards. It was clear that his wings were strong, as he managed to ascend rather quickly. Honestly it would have been impressive…

If I had managed to get a hold of the rope and I wasn't dangling by my waist while he flew upwards!

I noticed he stopped at a certain height and I took that moment to grab the rope that was tied to my waist and used it to climb back to where the bigger rope was, and sat as I had when we were flying before. "Be more careful next time! If it wasn't for the rope I would have fallen off!"

He didn't answer, and I could only guess that he was focusing on his 'vision' and the bullheads. _'They are coming from the west. I'll go north and continue as we had planned.'_ I agreed and soon enough we were off. Before we left the town of our sight, I could see three bullheads closing, and I was happy knowing that many had survived thanks to us.

* * *

 **/ Gore P.O.V. /**

By the time we reached the coast, night had already fallen. Still, Summer was awake, even if she had been silent for most of the trip. I would have asked her to lend me her eyesight, but I know that humans don't see too well in the dark, and my feelers were more than enough to know where the island was.

While we were moving towards the island, she spoke. "I wonder if they know what happened." I was confused by that. _'What do you mean?'_ She sat straight and looked towards the city. "Well, if Tai knows that I was kidnapped by a dragon, he might have already barged into Ozpin's office and forced him to send a team of huntsmen with him to search for me." She sighed before continuing. "But, on the other hand, Ozpin is a man that has a lot of secrets. Most of them are for keeping the people save, but I have always known that secrets and lies are discovered sooner or later."

I kept silent for a moment, thinking on what she just said. _'I know Tai is your husband, but you have mentioned this… Ozpin. Who is he? The leader of Vale?'_ She hummed for a moment before answering. "It's… difficult to explain. He is the headmaster of Beacon, where we train, but also the leader of most of the operations regarding huntsmen. There's also the Council, which deal with the city of Vale itself, but Ozpin holds a lot influence and power."

The hunter's guild also had a leader, but many decisions were also taken by some sort of council or veteran hunters giving their opinions on the matter. _'I think I understand. It's similar in my world, regarding the hunters, though I only know of it by the talks hunters had between themselves that I overheard.'_

She nodded and returned to the first topic. "Still, I don't know if Qrow or Ozpin have told them anything." She looked at me. "It might also mean trouble for you." We reached the coast to the island and I slowed down. _'We are already here, so there's no use in worrying now. Where is your house?'_

She pointed deeper into the island. "There. We are a little bit away from the main settlement, so you can fly without being spotted." I nodded and, with a much slower pace, flew deeper into the island. After a minute or so, I felt a human construction in a big clearing, with space both in front and behind it and a trail leading away from it.

"There! We've almost reached it!" I didn't need to use my connection to notice the happiness on her voice. _'I can land you behind the house and wait until you are in if they are asleep.'_ She nodded. "Yeah. At this hour, Tai must have already read them a bed time story and fall asleep himself. If not, then I'm going to have a few words with him about how much sleep Ruby and Yang need."

As we approached the house, I realized my hairs or scales couldn't get inside. The doors were closed, as were the windows. I could try to sneak some under the doors but it would take time, and I most probably would have already found a place away from them to sleep.

* * *

 **/ Ruby Rose P.O.V. /**

"No, cookie! Don't leave me!" I shouted as I saw the most delicious, sugar-filled, chocolate-chipped cookie walk away.

"Ruby, I am _not_ your cookie!" it said with a loud, deep voice.

"Noooooooo…" I launched myself to the Great Cookie and started biting on it before it could run away. It was perfect. The taste, the smell, the feeling…

And then I woke up on my bed, drooling.

Ugh! That's so embarrassing! I looked around my room, only to see that Yang was sleeping loudly. Phew! At least she wouldn't be teasing me with that.

Suddenly, I heard a loud thud, as if something big had taken a step. I raised from my bed and did not almost fall on my way to the window! Moving the curtains, I couldn't see too well because of the darkness, but I could make something big moving on our backyard.

Maybe it was a big Grimm? I moved to my Yang's bed. "Sis, there's something out there." She groaned and turned to the other side of the bed. I followed quickly. "Sis, wake up!" I whispered.

"Mmmm…" instead of listening to me she turned around again and returned to sleep. I glared at her and tried knocking on dad's door, but he wouldn't answer either. I turned around and I found Zwei sitting there with his happy, adorable face.

He barked and I smiled. "I knew I could trust you, Zwei!" I walked down the stairs and to the back door. "Together, we will face the evil Grimm and win!" He barked in confirmation and I turned on the light before opening the door.

* * *

 **/ Gore P.O.V. /**

I landed as silently as possible and let Summer down after she untied the rope at her waist. She took a deep breath and smiled. "Home, sweet home. And it seems everyone is asleep. Good."

Before walking to the door, she turned to me. "Okay, there's a clear in the forest, close to the cliffs we passed. It's huge and the cliffs have some caves if it starts raining. You'll have to deal with some Grimm, but they are very weak around here, except for the occasional Ursa."

I nodded. _'Don't worry about the rain. I simply don't like waking up soaked, but I don't care if I have to sleep under it.'_ She nodded and looked at me before realizing something. "Oh! I haven't untied the main rope. Hold on a sec."

She didn't took long in undoing the knot. "Okay. Now you can-" She suddenly turned to the house, although I didn't notice anything different. _'What is-'_ "Someone just turned on the light inside."

… Oh, shit.

Before I could fly away, the door opened and I saw a small figure there. She had the same silver light that Summer had and looking closer, she did look a lot like Summer. If this was her daughter, Ruby, then she was so… so…

So smol!

Her eyes landed on Summer. "Mom?" And then she turned to look at me, and her eyes went wide. For a moment I thought they might fall off.

Luckily, summer reacted quickly. "Ruby! What are you doing awake at this hour?"

She didn't take her eyes off me, and I didn't know if it was out of fear or awe. "I heard something outside and…"

Summer rushed to her daughter. "Well, it was me! Umm, surprise! I'm back!" she hugged her daughter and picked her up.

"I-is that a Grimm?" She asked, and I was starting to wonder if she had lost the ability to blink.

Summer looked to me with a pleading look. _'What do you want me to do!? You are her mother, not me!'_

Summer sighed and calmed herself. "Okay, sweetheart. Look at me." She laid a finger in her daughter's nose and turned her head towards her. "That is not a Grimm, okay? That is a dragon, like the ones from your stories, remember?" Her eyes went even wider if possible, but nodded nonetheless. "This one is a good dragon. He's helped me get home quicker and has helped me in fighting the Grimm. He is my friend and his name is Gore."

Ruby nodded to all that her mother was saying and I took a moment to look at the ball of fur that had taken the chance to start sniffing at one of my feet. It was a small, black and white dog with a dumb look.

Wait. Summer said they had a dog…

She compared me with this!?

"…So you must keep this secret, okay?" I turned back to the two humans and saw Ruby nod in the arms of her mother. Summer smiled and walked closer to me. "Gore, I want you to meet my youngest daughter, Ruby. Ruby, this my friend Gore. Say hi."

She waved her arm, still not sure if she was scared or amazed and I inched my head closer. I rather not scare the daughter of my friend, so I didn't make a sound. She extended her hand and started rubbing my scales. Her hand was the tiniest thing I had ever seen, but I could see her smile after a while. "This is so cool!"

Summer nodded and kissed her daughter in the cheek. "Remember to keep it secret, alright?"

"Mhm!" Ruby nodded and looked back at me. "We can put so many weapons on you!"

Summer chuckled and I lowered my head. Trapped in another world, hiding from humans and the daughter of my human friend wants to strap weapons on me.

This just couldn't get worse.

"Ruby, what are you doing outside at this hour?" Came a voice inside the house. A second later, a short haired, muscled man came outside. "You know it can be- Summer!? What are-?"

His eyes widened when he saw me, and Summer chuckled awkwardly. A second later a smaller figure, with long hair and somewhat taller than Ruby came out and laid eyes on me from behind the man "Whoa…"

I just had to open my mouth. Great.

* * *

 **A.N.: welp! Stealth did not work out at all! Welcome to the Rose-Xiao Long household, Gorey! Also, Pyrrha finds someone and doesn't know what to do! Poor Pyrrha: first this and then the problems of fame in the future.**

 **A little note on Ruby's age: the show doesn't specify how young she was when Summer died. Yang says she was 'too young to understand what had happened', but that isn't very specific. So, I've taken the liberty to write her with 5 years, making Yang 7. Fair warning, I'm not especially good at writing children, so don't expect to have her P.O.V. often.**

 **Reviews!**

 **thefoolishman: thanks! And yes, Gorey is adorable… in his own way.**

 **Deathangles14: make that 17. And I hope you enjoy MHW. It's awesome, especially with friends.**

 **DRMAK: they better not fucking touch his sister. Pissing Gorey off is not a gold idea.**

 **Piorun123456: not all chapters will have omakes, but most of them will be chibi.**

 **Lord-Azrael3: thank you!**

 **BurningTigrex FinalNargacuga: ummm… you mean the triple dots? I'm somewhat confused, but I'll admit I may have used them too much if that's what you mean.**

 **Xenophos24: I may have explained myself badly there. He doesn't see the Virus, but with the souls resonating together because of his Semblance, he believes there's something of him in her. Basically, living and interacting with one another formed a bond. That's why Gorey feels something in her that he calls 'familiar'.**

 **CreepingZombie: thank you! And I have no plans on making him Ascend, so most surely, no. And I'm sure that number will grow in the future.**

 **98kazer: thanks. And yeah, I also feel that hunters become too OP. Gorey will be powerful, but he can't take on the entirety on Remnant by himself.**

 **Lordsofeverithin: thanks! I'll keep up.**

 **apostlelord: nah, he's made clear that he doesn't want to do so.**

 **I decided to move the links of the songs here, to leave the story part clearer.**

 **None of the songs belong to me (duh).**

 **Link 1: watch?v=iP0gJpZUF1Y**

 **Link 2: watch?v=usXhiWE2Uc0**

 **I hope you enjoyed!**

 **Have a great day!**


	7. Chapter 5: A calm day

**A.N.: hello there! I finished my exams and have been trying the Anthem beta. The servers have a lot of problems but the game looks awesome.**

 **I have decided to separate each paragraph that a person speaks for you to have it clearer. It was suggested by someone in the reviews, and you can tell me if you prefer it like this or not.**

 **With that said, enjoy!**

* * *

 **Black Dragon, White Rose**

 **Chapter 5**

 **A calm day**

 **/ Gore P.O.V. /**

I may be blind, but even I could feel the tension the moment those two exited the house. For an outsider, the scene had to be hilarious: I was still as a rock, not sure on what to do; Summer looked like a Kelbi who had managed to get the attention of a predator; Ruby was still looking at me with eyes that didn't bother to hide the ideas she had for me; the man, who I guessed was Tai, didn't know who to look at, either me or Summer; and the child behind him didn't move an inch, though it was clear that she was looking at me.

Surprisingly, it was Ruby who reacted first. She stopped looking at me, realizing the rest of her family was there, and smiled innocently at them. "Dad, Mom's back! And she brought a dragon!"

A part of me wanted to react and fly away, but Summer was faster. "Umm, I-I can explain."

The man looked at her and shook his head. "I don't- what? Sum, Ozpin said the mission had taken longer than expected. How are you here!?" He then looked at me. "And what is that thing!?"

Hey! I looked at Summer. _'Can you tell him that I'm not a 'thing', I'm an Elder that could stomp him into the ground if he calls me that again!'_ I may not be bothered if I'm called a dragon, but I'm a living being, not a 'thing'.

Summer turned to me. "No! There's no need to stomp anyone into the ground, Gore!" She sighed and looked back at the man, with her daughter still in her arms. "Look, Tai, I can explain everything, but I need you to calm down."

The man seemed in thought for a moment, looking between Summer and me. He let out a breath and nodded once. "Okay, okay. Count to ten, Tai." He said to himself. "What is going on here?"

Summer looked back at me. I didn't need for her to speak to know what she wanted. While I still didn't want humans knowing about my presence, this situation was _way_ beyond that. I nodded and Summer smiled at me. "This… is going to be a long story. Do you mind if we talk inside, after I get comfortable? I've been several days with the same clothes."

"Oh! Um, sure. Go in." He then turned to me. "Is it dangerous?"

Summer looked at me and then let out a snort. "Nah. He doesn't like humans too much, but he is really nice when you get to know him." She walked to the house, but before entering, she added something. "Just don't call him a thing, Tai. _He_ is a dragon, and his name is Gore."

Thank you! She entered the house with the smallest of her daughters. The other one took this chance to move from behind her father and closer to me. "Yang, wait, don't-!"

I turned to face her and she stared at me for a moment, as if thinking something. She smiled. "Hi, I'm Yang. Thanks for _dragon_ my mother back home."

There was a moment of silence in the clear, when the only thing that could be heard were the crickets. Then she started laughing, with me following. Okay, that… I didn't expect that, but it was fun. I could feel the man relax at our exchange, and Yang closed in, extending her hand. I moved my head closer and let her caress it. Her hands were small, but bigger than those of the other child.

I still wasn't used to human contact, but I may start liking it if people stop trying stab, cut and slice several parts of my body. I still wanted to remain hidden as much as possible though, seeing as how I rather not risk a violent reaction from the hunters of this world.

Hunters? Huntsmen? Meh. One and the same. Except for Summer. I can respect her.

The girl lifted her hand and turned to her father. "He's alright in my book."

The man seemed stunned for a moment before sighing and rubbing his eyes. "Yang, you can't tell if someone is good or bad by just _puns_ , as much as I like them too."

"Yes, I can." She said with a smile. "Besides, he hasn't bit my hand off. He coulda, but he didn't." It was a possibility, yes, but a hand so small wouldn't even be a snack.

In that same moment, a head popped from the side of the door. "Yaaaaang! My sister sense is flaring. Are you telling puns to the super-awesome dragon?"

Her sister extended her arms to me. "But sis, he likes them. Right, big guy?"

The two looked at me and I nodded. "Nooooo! Yang, why must turn everyone to the dark side?" Their father let out a laugh at their daughters and I couldn't help but do the same as they kept arguing.

A few moments later, a voice came from the house. "All right, girls. You two still need to go to bed, so no more wasting time!"

The two girls groaned, and the smallest one answered first. "But mooooom, we want to spend time with the dragon!"

"No 'buts'!" Summer appeared from the door and I noticed she had changed her clothes. Before, she wore an outfit that was definitely combat-centered. Now, she had a simple short-sleeved shirt and long, comfortable pants. She had left her cape, but what surprised me most was the slippers she wore, which looked like Grimm. "It's still late and school is starting soon for both of you. Especially you, Yang. Signal is no joke and your father and Qrow will make sure you work hard." She put her hands in her hips. "So no more complains and back to bed!"

"Yes, mom." The two answered at the same time, before passing by her and kissing her in the cheek.

"And no staying up in bed!" Added the man. "I will be checking on later!" After the children went inside, he moved where Summer was standing and gave her a long kiss on the lips. "We all have missed you. _I've_ missed you."

She giggled. "I know. I've missed you too." She kissed back and I couldn't help but feel… awkward. I wasn't used to see shows of human affection. I wasn't going to stop them, but I would have liked to be elsewhere during it. "So, I guess you want an explanation."

The man nodded and looked at me. "Yeah, that would be nice."

They walked inside the house and Summer opened a window for me to listen as they talked. Summer explained her encounter with me, but for some reason, she left several details. She didn't mention the woman I killed and didn't give too many details about the days on the cave. I wanted to intercede to ask why she was doing this, but decided to remain silent. She was hiding something, and I was curious, but it wasn't the best moment to ask.

The man remained silent during her explanation until she finished. "And then he agreed to bring me here on the condition that I help him get back to his world."

The man just stared at her for a few moments, as if he was unsurprised by what she just told him. Finally, he let out a long, loud sigh and rubbed his temples. "I'm getting Beacon flashbacks right now…" He sat up from where he was. "So, let me get this straight: you are wounded during your mission, only to be _kidnapped_ by a dragon," he glared at me through the window and I shrugged. It was true, and I wasn't going to deny it, "and spend the next _four days_ in a cave."

He breathed in deeply and continued. "Afterwards, you _somehow_ manage to convince him to return to the village and discover that he is _not_ from Remnant, and decide that the best course of action is to _unlock his Aura_ , which also discovers his Semblance, and it turns out to be a connection between you and him, allowing you to speak with him with your mind." By this point, Summer was shrinking in her seat more and more. She didn't seem to comfortable with this situation.

After taking another long breath, he continued. "And finally, you make a deal with him, that you don't know how to keep your end of it, and bring it here, close to our family and Signal and all of the people that live in Patch. What where you thinking, Summer?" He then pointed at me. "Even if he is not dangerous, how long do you think it will take for someone to discover him, and take him as a threat?"

Hey, this guy has the right idea. "In fact, what are you going to tell Qrow? That you escaped and managed to get to Patch magically?"

Summer rubbed the back of her head. "W-well, I'm still thinking that part." She shook her head and looked at the man with determination. "But I promise you that Gore is not a threat. He even helped me save a village on the way here. He didn't have to, but he agreed to help me."

"I don't- wait, he helped you save a village?" He looked surprised. It was a good workout and that rock monster was fun to fight.

Summer nodded with a smile. "Mhm. And, honestly, if it wasn't for him, I may not be here right now." That caught the attention of the man, who sat again. "I told you we were on a bad spot, but it goes beyond that." She sighed. "We were surrounded and I was wounded. Gore intervened and stopped me from doing something… stupid. He then took me away and I helped him get a sword out of his chest."

"Why didn't you told me that from the beginning?" Asked the man.

Summer looked down. "I didn't want to worry you. I'm fine now and Qrow is also alive, at least he was when Gore flew with me away. And… I wasn't sure you would believe me."

The man moved beside Summer and hugged her with one arm. "Sum, I… I would be lying if I said that what has happened to you didn't worry me. You may have not come back to us." Summer looked even more guilt-eaten with those words. "But you are here now, and we know the risks of being a huntsmen. I'm always going to worry when you leave, but I will always trust you to come back." He said with a smile, and she turned to him with another. "Even if you have some help every once in a while."

At that, both of them looked at me through the window. "Thanks for bringing her back. And… sorry for calling you a 'thing'." He sounded honest, and Summer did seem to trust him, so I nodded in return.

' _Tell him that as long as he doesn't do it again, I'm okay with it.'_ I said to Summer. _'And that both of your daughters are up and trying to listen to both of you.'_ I could feel them thanks to Summer opening the window to the house, and they looked like they had one ear on the floor above the room where Summer had explained everything.

Summer nodded until she realized what I had said. "Girls! If I have to come up there, you're both out of cookies for a _month_!" The man looked surprised until he heard the footsteps above and discovered what Summer was shouting about.

The man shook his head. "They have behaved while you were outside, and I've been training Yang's Semblance." He let out a chuckle. "Ruby can't wait to unlock her Aura and follow her sister to Signal."

Summer nodded but she didn't seem to happy, to my surprise. "Sum, we talked about this…"

"I know." She rose from her seat and paced around the room. "But Remnant is dangerous, and I'm still not sure I want them to be huntresses. They think it'll be a tale of heroes, but reality is so much more darker."

"Yes, but both of us and Qrow are their role models, and all of us are huntsmen." Said the man. "And if we train them, I'm sure they won't have a single problem out there."

She sighed. "But what if they aren't ready, Tai? What if one day they don't make it? What if-?"

' _That's stupid.'_ I cut her off and she looked at me. _'I've seen you fight, and if you train them to be anything like you, they will be okay.'_ She was better than many of the hunters I had seen in my world, so as long as her daughters aren't completely useless, they will be alright if she trains them.

Summer looked at me. "You… really think so?" The man was looking between us, as if trying to figure what was going on. Heh, good luck with that, pal.

I nodded. _'You're the only human I trust and respect, both in and out of combat.'_ She smiled and I continued. _'Do not take this lightly. I've lived very long and my interactions with humans have been mostly hostile. So when I say that I trust you, I mean it.'_

The man walked beside Summer. "What did he say?"

Summer nodded to me. "Thanks, Gore. That means a lot. I trust you, too." She turned to him. "He says that if we train them, they should be alright. And that he trusts me."

The man looked at Summer before letting out a laugh. "You always find a way into people's hearts." He looked at me. "And dragon's, it would seem."

Summer laughed. "Yeah, I guess so." A yawn escaped her mouth. "Man, I am tired! Who would say traveling on a dragon could be so exhausting?"

' _As far as I recall,_ you _weren't the one flying through half the world!'_ I countered. _'So don't complain!'_

Summer laughed nervously and looked away. "W-well, I'm tired anyways. Let's go to sleep."

The man turned to me. "What about him?"

' _I will be fine here. As long as no humans come along, I don't have a problem.'_ I focused on the surroundings of the clear and noticed that there weren't any Grimm around. _'And if a Grimm comes here, I'll deal with it.'_

Summer nodded and explained to Tai, who agreed in letting me stay. After they left to go upstairs, I turned and made myself comfortable in the clearing. A part of me wanted to use the connection with Summer and look around for a bit, but we both wanted to rest.

When I was already lying on the ground, I felt something open a small hatch on the door and realized it was that miniscule dog they had. I thought it had entered with the two girls, what was it doing here?

He looked at me and barked once before walking towards me with the same stupid face he had been making ever since I arrived here. He reached in front of me and sat without taking his eyes off me. He turned his head to the side and I did the same. What did it want?

Acting as if I knew what he was doing, he barked and moved even closer. I growled and made him stop. What did he think he was doing? I could eat him in one bite and he wouldn't be able to do anything about it.

The dog sat again and looked at me. I didn't have any idea what he wanted and I wasn't going to stay up for this. I laid my head down and tried to fall asleep, but the damned dog would bark and move around my head. He wasn't going to let me sleep, wasn't he?

After several minutes, I groaned and turned my head to the dog. At this pace, I wasn't going to get any sleep, so I waited until the dog came closer to me. When he was right beside my head, he did several turns on the spot before plopping down. Did he… want to sleep beside me?

…

You know what? I didn't have the energy nor the will to deal with this right now. Resigning to my fate, I propped my head beside the dog and we both fell asleep in the clear behind the house.

* * *

 **/ ? P.O.V. /**

How dare they!? These fools think they can challenge me in _my own territory_!? I was the queen here, and nobody would dare to even step in here unless they wanted to die! But these idiots didn't just walk in, but actively searched for me!

I swatted another of them away and charged at the one behind their line. The couple in front were clever enough to move away, but my intended target wasn't so lucky. I threw him away and prepared to burn him to a crisp. He managed to survive, but I was about to make sure it wasn't for long.

I was stopped by the two behind me, as they attempted to hit me. I turned around quickly and sprayed fire where they were. The fools dodged the attack and tried to harm me on the sides of my head.

Pathetic. They would die for even daring touch me!

I moved around and breathed more fire upon them. Even if they have managed to resist the natural heat I emitted, their armors wouldn't protect them from the _hell_ I was about to unleash on them! One of them was already trying to run away, and the other two were struggling to keep themselves alive. Weren't there four?

I was surprised when the same human that I had thrown away managed to slice a wound on the back of my front left leg. I recoiled immediately, exploding the area he was in. I took that second to look at my leg and notice there was a deep wound there. How!? In one single slice! This shouldn't be possible! My scales were strong enough to resist most of their weapons, so how did he manage to do that!?

I looked back at the culprit, watching as he stood up and drank something, before readying that hideous long sword he carried. Drips from _my_ blood feel to the rocky ground, and I felt my anger flare up. These weaklings! This poor excuses of wasted life have managed to wound me!

I will make them _suffer_!

I roared to the top of my lungs and I felt the volcano tremble with my power. I prepared the heat around me and made it explode, forcing the human to jump away. That didn't save him from the stream of fire I used to cook him alive inside of that armor. But I wasn't just going to let it stay like that.

I walked closer to the charred corpse, intent on devouring what was left. I know humans liked to take the bodies of their dead. I didn't know why, but I wasn't going to give them the pleasure. When I was finished with him, I would throw his bones into the lava, and nobody would remember him.

Suddenly, just as I reached him, he turned around and stabbed his sword in my armpit. I let out a roar of pain and tried to back away, but the fool, that had managed to survive, held strong and didn't let go of the sword.

I moved around, trying to claw him from his sword, smashing onto walls and dragging him through the ground, but he managed to hold on. Instead of keeping up his attack, he started talking to himself, reciting strange verses.

Tired of the situation, I charged all my energy inside of me and prepared to use my flames to carbonize the hunter into ashes. He didn't relent and kept talking, and as he continued, a blinding light surged from the sword. I didn't know what he was doing but, I wasn't going to let him finish.

"… And by my sword smite thee!" He shouted, and before I could finish charging my attack, the light from the sword expanded, covering the entirety of my vision. I could no longer see the area where we were fighting, nor the hunter that had been holding onto my sword. His companions were nowhere to be found and I could no longer feel the ground under my feet.

And there was only white.

* * *

 **/ Gore P.O.V. /**

I woke up with a yawn, stretching my legs and wings after getting up. As I let my feelers scan the surroundings, I noticed the lack of the pestering ball of fur that had slept beside me. Did it leave? Maybe I ate him without noticing.

Hmm. Whatever the case, I wasn't going to worry about it this early in the morning.

I walked closer to the house and noticed that Summer and her husband were both in the kitchen. I couldn't feel the two children, so they may still be in bed. As I walked closer, I saw Summer peek through the window with a cookie in her mouth. She smiled and ate it in one go. "Good morning, Gore! Did you sleep-? Pfft!"

Without reason, she starting laughing. _'Is something wrong?'_ Did I had something on my face?

The man looked through the window, and smiled. "Huh. So that's where Zwei went." His voice was tired and he held a cup of something in his hand.

And what was he saying about Zwei? I hadn't seen the dog ever since went to sleep beside me. Wait… As I started waking up completely, I felt a small weight on my head, and focusing my feelers on that area, I noticed it was the dog.

The dog was still asleep, _on my head_.

Before I could react, Summer used her 'not-a-scroll'(I refuse to call it scroll. It still looks nothing like it!) and I heard a click as she pointed it at me. She didn't stop laughing as I turned to her. "I-I'm sorry, b-but this is just too good!"

I grumbled and reached with one of my wingarms, lifting the dog and bringing it in front of my head. He woke up with a yawn, and immediately returned to that idiotic face. Summer kept laughing, and I was trying _really hard_ not to just throw the dog into the sky.

…

But a better idea came to mind.

Just as Summer was recovering from her laughing fit, I got my hand through the window and pushed the dog right to her face with some strength behind it. "Mmph!" She tripped and fell with the dog on her face, and this time, it was _me_ laughing at _her_. I could also feel the man trying, and failing, to stifle a giggle.

Summer moved the dog off from her face, and the pet proceeded to move to a couple of bowls by the side of the room. Summer, on the other hand, was spitting out dog hairs and trying to get all of the fur off her face and mouth.

When she finally managed to do so, she got up and glared at me, and I couldn't help but smile at her angered look. "Very funny, Gore. Why don't you go away to hunt or something?" She said, as she returned to cooking.

' _I intend to, but I just had to take the opportunity.'_ I answered, still with a smile. _'Is there any place around here that I can hunt without being discovered?'_

Summer hummed. "Well, there aren't many animals around here, and most of them are cattle for Vale." She finished checking on a couple of things before continuing. "Your best bet is to go fishing. There are a lot of fish around the island and I doubt you'll encounter any boats. Most of them fish closer to Vale due to the Grimm."

"You know," spoke Summer's husband, "it's a little bit annoying not knowing what you two are talking about with that connection, Semblance thing. Do you think you could add more people to it?"

I stood silent and looked at Summer for a moment. She also seemed to be in thought. "Maybe he can, but we didn't have any other people to try it on at the time. What do you think, Gore?"

I shrugged. _'As you say, we haven't tried. I don't know, I'm new to this… Semblance power.'_ I looked at the line that connected both of us. _'I could try, but I rather get something to eat before.'_

Summer nodded. "Sure. I'm actually finishing preparing breakfast here." She picked several plates and moved them to the room at the center of the house. "I'm going to wake up the girls. And I'll call Qrow after breakfast to let him know I'm alright."

Her husband nodded and went behind her. "He might still be looking for you, so the sooner you talk to him the better. And don't forget about Ozpin."

I couldn't see her but I felt the tone of her voice shift. "Yeah, I'll have some words with him later too." She sounded sad, maybe even somewhat angry, but that definitely didn't look like a conversation she wanted to have.

I didn't know why. Maybe it was because of the mission she was sent on. The town was destroyed, after all. Or maybe it had something to do with the woman I killed there. Whatever the case, she sounded like she wanted to do _anything_ but that.

' _I'll be leaving, then.'_ Summer nodded through the window and I turned around, only to hear a bark and find that pestering dog exiting the house and walking towards me. _'And keep this dog away from me, please. He almost didn't let me sleep last night.'_

Without waiting for a response, I took flight, and made my way towards the cliffs. While flying, I noticed that what Summer had said was true: I only felt a few small animals here and there, with very few Grimm around. I also noticed the lack of humans the further away I went from the main settlement.

I reached the cliffs and landed, waiting for my hairs and scales to do their work. It didn't take long for me to find a group of fishes swimming around. I might not be the best when it comes to fishing, but catching enough to satiate me wasn't hard and didn't take too long. There were a lot of different fishes, but one problem I encountered was that there were also Grimm underwater. They didn't bother with me too much, but it was frustrating catching a Grimm instead of a fish.

When I reached the house later, I could hear several voices coming from inside. "I'm not sure that would be possible, my little petal. I don't think Gore would like that."

"But moooom!" I heard a more high pitched voice. "Think of all the rockets!"

A laugh followed. "I think mom's right, sis. You'll have to let that go."

I let myself be known my dropping down on the ground. "Oh! He's back!" I felt Summer rise from the table and come closer to the window of the kitchen. "Hello, Gore." She let a few plates in the sink. "How did fishing go?"

' _Well enough. Thanks for telling me, by the way. I may have spent the entirety of the morning hunting rabbits just to have a snack.'_ And while I could steal a few cows, it risked being caught.

"I'm glad I could help." She returned to the main room and came back with more plates. "I'm going to call Qrow and let him know I'm alright."

A few moments later, her husband entered the room and gave her a kiss in the cheek. "Yang wants to train a bit, so we're going out. Ruby wants to watch as well."

Summer nodded. "Sure. I'll join you after I call Qrow."

The man nodded and went back to the main room. "Okay, Yang. Let's get to it."

"Yes!" A few seconds later, the door to the clearing opened and the three exited the house, followed by the ball of fur. I moved to the side of the clearing, and laid down, waiting for them to start. I had nothing better to do right now, and seeing as how flying around may expose my presence, I rather stay and watch.

Pulling on the connection I had with Summer, I saw her family for the first time. The man and the oldest daughter were both blond, and the other daughter… well, she was a tiny copy of Summer. Her eyes were silver as well, her face was obviously less developed and her hair didn't had the same red tips as her, but short, red hairs were starting to show.

The other two did have some resemblance, but the eldest daughter didn't look like Summer at all. She did say that she wasn't exactly her daughter, but that Summer married the father and took her in as if she was hers.

It was strange for me. As far as I knew, human offspring stayed with their parents for a quite a long time. I had heard of children being abandoned, but it was very strange for that to happen back in my world, and as far as I knew, it wasn't something usual in this world either. Summer was still with her daughter and she had taken another as her own.

So where was her mother? Maybe she died? I had no idea, and honestly, I was curious. If she wasn't dead, then what reason did she have to abandon her offspring? Most creatures, Inferiors and Elders included, stay with their children until they can fend for themselves if they are alive. My species was actually an exception to the rule, simply because we didn't know which Inferiors would be able to host one of our own when we infect them.

Maybe even _I_ had a son or a daughter running around. I infected many monsters during the years. It was a possibility, but I honestly had no idea. However, I doubted it. Another of my kind would have caught the attention of the Guild and I most probably would have heard of it, specially if they had sent someone to hunt it.

Back in the present, the small copy of Summer came closer to 0me, followed by that pest of a dog. "Um, hi!" She seemed less energetic and happy than yesterday. Maybe it was because she was alone now? She had sings of lack of sleep, too. Maybe it was that? "Can… can I sit here with you?" She had a notebook and a pen on her hands.

A part of me wanted to say no, mainly because the dog would follow the girl and sit beside me, but I nodded in the end. I doubted she would try anything, and if the dog did, well, I still had space for a little snack. "Thanks!" She smiled and moved close to my head, sitting beside it. As I thought, the dog did the same, right at her side.

In front of us, the other two members of the family were standing facing each other. "Okay, Yang. I want you to try and hit me as hard as you can." The girl nodded and ran towards her father. He blocked the punch effortlessly. "Good. Try and find a opening in my defense."

And so, the two proceeded to train, the father blocking and his daughter trying to hit him with her fists. Meanwhile, the child by my side was sketching and drawing in her notebook. Taking a small look, I noticed the drawings were… weapons? I wasn't too sure: some seemed like so, while others were simply impossible. Blades the size of half my body, guns strapped onto swords, swords strapped onto guns. She had even started to draw me with some of them!

The drawings, as childish and physically impossible as they were, were also very well done. After a while, she noticed I was looking. "Oh! You like them?" I'm… not sure 'like' is the correct word. "When I grow, I will make my own weapon at Signal, and I just can't decide!" She said with a _lot_ of excitement. "Should I make a sword that shifts into a sniper!? Or maybe a rocket launcher with missiles that launch _more_ missiles when they explode!? Ugh! So may possibilities!"

What in the Ancients was she talking about!? "A weapon is a part of ourselves, so it must be perfect for it to work properly!" That must be in this world. I had seen hunters throw weapons away as if they were trash after they found a better one. "How am I going to become the best huntress _ever_ if I don't have the perfect weapon!? How am I going to protect people if I don't like a part of myself!?" She kept on ranting, and I just couldn't help but wonder if she was addicted to weapons _somehow_.

After a few seconds, I realized she had shut up, and that she was looking at her father while they trained. "Mom and dad are super-cool. And uncle Qrow is the best uncle ever! I always wanted to be like them, like the huntsmen in my stories: the heroes that protect the people from the evil Grimm."

While she kept talking, I only saw in her another hunter that would mean trouble in the future. But then, she looked at me, with a sweet smile, and kept talking. "I want to protect my family, and my friends and the people in Remnant, both human and Faunus." She stood up, leaving the notebook and pen on the ground, and moved her hand to my head. "And if you become part of our family, I will protect you too!"

That… surprised me. Apart from Summer, no other human had ever said that. And looking at her, I could feel a warm and honest intent from her words. She was just a child and she already hoped to protect everyone. How naïve. And at the same time, I couldn't help but feel that she wasn't going to give up, no matter what.

I had been living for long enough to know how humans could be. And I had to deal with all kinds of them while they tried to kill me: those who looked for glory or money, the ones that wanted to prove something, or to protect someone, the vengeful ones… Not all of them were bad, of course, but I had never interacted with humans like this.

She caught my attention again as she spoke. "And… thanks for bringing mom back safe." Her smile was still there, but she had to sniff and wipe a tear from her eye. "We heard her and dad talk yesterday and listened to what she said. And after that, I couldn't sleep." So that's why she looked tired.

"But you saved her. You brought her back to us." She hadn't taken her hand of my head. In fact, before I could notice, she threw herself at my head and hugged me, even if my head was several times bigger than her entire body. "Thank you." It was more a whisper than anything else, but even I could feel it carried a lot of meaning behind it.

I felt… overwhelmed, honestly. For someone so small, her words carried a lot of feelings behind them, and her actions even more. Until now, the only human that had shown anything else than hostility and fear towards me had been Summer, and she had been relatively calm on her approach. But her daughter just… outright hugged me. Not that I didn't like it, but I wasn't expecting it.

In the end, I think I may get used to this. Besides, this girl, Ruby, is a lot like her mother. That's something I like.

Ruby kept a hold on me for a while, and I could notice at the corner of my 'eye' her father looking at us for a moment before smiling and returning to training. Looking back at the girl in front of me, I let her stay like that for a few moments until I felt something coming from her. It felt similar to the connection I had with Summer, but different at the same time.

Curious about it, I tried to focus on it, only for my Aura to activate around me. Not knowing what was happening, I returned my connection with Summer to normal, and kept concentrating on Ruby. My Aura flared again and this time, I noticed her soul follow the pattern my Aura was creating. Ruby let go of me as she looked over herself. "What…?"

After a few moments, my Aura and her soul pulsed in synchrony. When that happened, a line formed between Ruby and I, much like the one I had with Summer. Could it be…? "Wh-what just happened!? I-I felt something and… Are you okay?"

Well, only one way to know. I nodded. _'Yes. And how are you feeling?'_ I wasn't sure if it was another connection, but if it was, this created many questions.

Ruby nodded as she kept looking for something wrong in her body. "I-I think so. I don't think it was something bad. It just feels strange…" This confirmed my suspicions.

I waited for a couple of seconds until she realized and turned slowly towards me. "Did you just… talk?"

Yep, definitely a connection. _'Not exactly. I think I linked your soul to mine. It's how your mother and I are able to communicate with each other. That's why you can hear my thoughts.'_

She stared at me with wide eyes and then looked back at herself. "But I don't even have my Aura unlocked yet! Can you even do it like that?"

' _We are having a conversation, aren't we?'_ I told her. _'So I think it works. And don't worry, your mother has it too and nothing wrong has happened with it.'_

She turned her head to me and smiled. "This. Is. So. Cool! I can talk with a dragon! Imagine all the things we could do together now. We could… we could…" Before Ruby could finish her thoughts, she let out an immense yawn for such a small mouth.

' _I think you should rest.'_ I said as she rubbed her eyes. _'You have told me yourself that you haven't slept tonight.'_

Ruby pouted and crossed her arms. "But I can't sleep now! I have to tell them that we can talk now! And there are many things I want to ask you!"

I looked a moment to the other two in the clearing with us. They hadn't notice what had transpired yet, and they seemed to be very invested in the training. Looking back at Ruby, I shook my head. _'You can tell them later. My connection is not going anywhere and you have all day to talk to them. Besides, wouldn't be better if you could think of the questions you want to ask me with a clear head?'_ I didn't want another interrogation like the one Summer did to me right now, honestly.

She looked away. "Maybe…" A few seconds passed until she relented. "Ugh, fine! But I'm not going back to my room! My bed is a mess and it's a pretty good day out here. So," She moved closer to me and sat with her back and head resting on me, "I'm going to sleep out here." The dog barked and ran towards her, jumping on her legs and laying down.

Oh, jolly. Now I was going to be stuck still until she woke up. Great.

She made herself comfortable and closed her eyes. She was lucky I had nothing else to do right now. Maybe I could convince her to- and she is already asleep. And I thought Summer was quick at falling asleep. Like mother, like daughter, I guess. I sighed and plopped my head on the ground, pulling on the link with Summer again and watching the training.

A few minutes passed until Summer exited the house, giving a quick hug and a few words to her daughter and husband before coming towards me. When she noticed Ruby sleeping by my side, she smiled softly. When she reached us, she kneeled in front of Ruby and gave her a quick kiss. "Sweet dreams, my little petal."

She turned to me. "I have called Qrow. I told him that, after you took me away, I pulled the sword out of your chest and that you let me go. I was lucky enough to find a caravan that took me to a town with a functional airship, but I couldn't call him until now because their local tower was down." That was fine with me. As long as they don't know I'm here, it'll be fine. "It took some convincing, but I think he bought it. And he told me he would contact Ozpin! So that's 2 for the price of 1!"

She then moved closer to my head and sat beside me, looking at Ruby again. "I noticed she was tired this morning, but I knew she would end up falling asleep here in the clearing or in the sofa." She smiled at me. "I wasn't expecting it to be with you. Or that you'd let her, for that matter."

I shrugged with one of my wings. _'She just wanted a place to sit at first. She then started blabbering about weapons and how she wanted to be a huntress.'_

Summer giggled. "Yeah, that's Ruby for you."

' _She heard what you and your husband talked about last night. That's why she couldn't sleep.'_ Her smiled disappeared and she frowned. _'She thanked me for saving you, and somehow, we made a link.'_

"A link?" She was surprised for a moment. "Wait, you mean like the one we have? You can talk with Ruby now?"

I nodded. _'It seems it works even when the other being doesn't have an Aura.'_ She listened intently as I explained. _'Maybe it works between souls directly?'_

"Maybe. But now we know you can link with other people!" She said with a smile. "How did you do it?"

' _I… don't know. After thanking me for saving you, she hugged me and I could feel her soul pulsating with mine.'_ I told her. _'I focused on it and it just… appeared. It's still there, if you are wondering.'_

Summer hummed. "Maybe… maybe you form links with those you are close to?" I looked to her and she raised her hands. "Listen for a moment here. You formed one with me after we spent several days together and I unlocked your Aura. When someone unlocks another's Aura, they become closer to each other, and you seemed to like me even before of that."

I was about to retort, but she _did_ help me back then. "So what if those people you care about are the ones that you link with your Semblance? It doesn't seem so farfetched, does it?"

I remained silent, thinking about it. I _did_ see Summer as a friend, and Ruby had also proven to be kind to me. Did I care about her? Well, she was the daughter of my friend, and I'm sure I didn't dislike Ruby. And if what Summer had said was true, that would explain why I can only talk with them.

' _It… it does make sense.'_ Then why did it felt so _strange_? Maybe it was because they were humans, or was there more to it?

Summer noticed my silence and patted me on the neck. "Don't overthink it. Semblances can be pretty weird. It actually remembers me of… of…" She looked at her oldest daughter, who was taking a rest alongside her father, and shook her head. "Never mind."

I wanted to ask, but something told me I wouldn't get an answer. Not yet, at least. _'Very well. If I find out anything else, I'll let you know.'_

She took a deep breath and nodded. "Yeah, sure." She got up and gave one last smile at Ruby.

' _Hey! Wait a minute!'_ She looked at me. _'Aren't you going to do something about Ruby? I want to stretch my legs.'_

Summer smiled, but this smile was way crueler and mischievous. "Oh, I don't know. Should I?" She turned around and kept walking to the house. "I don't think she will like being woken up. But don't worry, you'll only have to wait a few hours. See ya!"

A few- Ancients damn it.

I looked at Ruby. I could just wake her up, but… Fine, I'll stay like this. Maybe I can sleep a bit myself. It's not as if I could do anything else right now.

I'll get you back for this, Summer. I have _all_ the time in the world to get back at you.

* * *

 **A.N.: more is discovered about Gore's Semblance, and the Guild discovers the utility of Silver Eyed Warriors. But… at what cost for Remnant? And how many pissed dragons are going to cause trouble?**

 **For those wondering, Gorey only calls humans by their name when he feels they deserve it. Most humans have tried to kill him, so he only bothers to call by their names those that he cares about or respects.**

 **Small detail: we don't know how early kids enter Signal, so I'm taking some liberties.**

 **Now, reviews!**

 **TravisUmbra: when you think everything is going alright, a surprise Murphy attacks! And thanks.**

 **Deathangles14: hence forth, you shall be known as the 'thank you' Counter Keeper. All hail the Counter Keeper!**

 **Delta prime2: long review, I'll try to keep it brief. I rather not rant. Nah, Summer is cleverer than that, but the damage is already done. As for the hunter, she had survival training, and without weapons the best option is to not fight. I'll explain more about how she reached there in the future. And you will get to see Qrow in the future, don't worry.**

 **Lord-Azrael3: thank you!**

 **UndeadLord22: why would it end like the Beauty and the Beast? I'm not good at romance, and that would just be… weird.**

 **darkvampirekisses: thanks!**

 **thefoolishman: Ruby is just happy to have her mother and a dragon at home. And I appreciate it, even if it was a bit late. Beacon is for the future, I'm afraid, seeing as how Ozpin doesn't even trust his shadow. Literally.**

 **ZobbieStone (x3): thank you! I hope you like the new organization. I'm sorry for any mistakes I make. I try my best, but I may miss a few things. And I update on Sundays.**

 **Ill: many things will happen in the Rose-Xaio Long household. Many, many things. Questions: yes, his Semblance is based on bonds… mostly; a little bit; maybe, I'm not sure yet.**

 **Black Magic99 (x2): Gore will never be human, but being close to them makes him closer to them. The map has ink, and several decades of eyeless perception makes him exceptional at his own ability. And she didn't have a chestburster, humans can't have Gore Magala offspring. I have several ideas for the future of the story, but I won't spoil them.**

 **Proiu: thank you! I'll keep working.**

 **Runningstar bloodrage: nope, but Murphy is always watching, waiting for the best moment to strike!**

 **TheWitchKingOfIzalith: thank you very much, kind gentleman. I like the name, by the way.**

 **I hope you enjoyed!**

 **Have a great day!**


	8. Chapter 6: Newcomers

**A.N.: hello there! Sorry this chapter is shorter than the rest, but I had a** _ **really**_ **bad week. Big part of me didn't want to write, but I wasn't going to leave you without a chapter.**

 **Another problem is that, from now on, I might have less time to write. I WON'T quit doing it, but don't be surprised if I'm not able to post some weeks.**

 **With that said, enjoy!**

* * *

 **Black Dragon, White Rose**

 **Chapter 6**

 **Newcomers**

 **/ Ozpin P.O.V. /**

"I don't believe her, Oz." Said Qrow. He was waiting for a bullhead to pick him up and bring him here. "That monster kidnaps her and then just… lets her go!? It doesn't make sense."

"It's also the first time we encounter anything like this, Qrow." Leonardo told him. Behind him, I could see the glass window of his office in Heaven. "Maybe it did happen that way."

I hummed and rested my head on my crossed hands. When Summer called Qrow, she told him, to his surprise, that she was already home in Patch. When Qrow asked what happened, her explanation was rather vague, and somewhat convenient: after being brought to that cave, she took out a sword from the dragon's chest, and after a couple of days, she left the cave without any opposition from the creature.

She didn't explain much about those two days, just that the creature hadn't harm her. In fact, it had hunted food for both and remained relatively apart from her. Then, one morning, the dragon left, going east, according to Summer, and she took that chance to leave the cave. After walking for a few hours, she encountered a caravan that agreed to take her to a town where they were going to trade in.

'Coincidentally', the town had a bullhead in it, but, also 'coincidentally', the local communications tower was down during her stay. And, ' _coincidentally'_ again, the bullhead was heading to Vale, from where she took a late night boat to Patch, and waited for the next day to call Qrow.

Well, Summer was never good at lying.

"It definitely sounds…"

"Crazy? Impossible?" Qrow said.

"I was going to say farfetched, but your answers aren't completely wrong either." This was a situation not even _I_ have ever faced before, but also because of that, we couldn't jump into conclusions. "But it may also be true. For now, we must handle this carefully. If what Summer is saying is true, then we have an unknown creature flying around Anima, or heading towards Vacuo."

Qrow shook his head. "And what if Sum is lying? I want to trust her, but this just seems impossible."

"But why would she be lying?" Asked Leo. "I have met her, and she is a huntress to the bone. You both know it better than I. So, I ask again, what reason would she have to be lying?"

Qrow looked down and shook his head. "I don't know. But this just doesn't fit. You can't tell me this doesn't seem weird."

"It does." I answered. "But without any proof of the contrary, we'll trust Summer." I looked at Leo in the screen. "Have you found anything?"

Leo shook his head. "It has only been a few hours and I haven't been able to get in contact with any caravans just yet. But, as of now, no towers have reported any problems in the last week." He sighed. "I'm sorry I can't do more. The Council has my hands full with the kidnappings all along the territory of Mistral."

"I understand. It is a worrying situation." According to him, there has been an extremely large wave of kidnappings in Mistral territory, mainly women and children. It was clear that the crimes were related, but the criminals were clever and, as of now, the huntsmen and the authorities hadn't been able to stop them. "With Summer's matter relatively solved, maybe we can lend some aid."

"I have called back more huntsmen to the main city. Maybe we'll be able to stop them then, but if we don't make any improvements, I shall consider it." Leo said.

"Wow, that bad, huh?" Qrow laid back on his chair. "Listen, I still have to talk with Sum and make sure she's alright, but maybe I can go there afterwards. I still owe you for the help you lent me this last days." The man shrugged. "Even if I didn't make use of it at the end."

Leo chuckled. "It's alright. The team was a little disappointed, but they understood. And I would appreciate it. Now, if you excuse me," he said as he got up from his chair, "there are several matters that require my presence. You should thank Glynda more often, Ozpin. I know how much work she takes off your shoulders."

I smiled. Glynda was definitely a life savior. "I will. Good bye, Leo." The man nodded and his screen disappeared.

"I'm glad I'm just a professor. I don't think I could take the paperwork you go through." He addressed me after Leo left. "As for Summer…"

"Yes, we must figure out if she is telling the truth." And if she had any information on the creature, we needed to know. "Go to Patch when you arrive, but do it in your crow form."

"You want me to spy on Sum?" He asked. "Do you think I'll find anything?"

"I do not know." I answered. "For now, make sure that she is fine and that nothing is wrong with the rest of her family. When you make sure that everything is in order, you can address the problem more… directly, if you want. We don't know if that creature is hostile, but if it turns out to be, we need all the information we can get."

Qrow nodded. "Fine. I don't like having to spy on her, though."

"Me neither, Qrow. But we must be cautious. If what Summer says is true, then we'll just have to apologize to her." And I was sure that she would understand, due to the circumstances. "But if she is lying, we must find out why and what she is lying about." I leaned forward. "I doubt Salem has a hand in this, but if she does, I fear for the safety of Summer and her family."

He closed his eyes and sighed. "I know. They are my family, too. I'll make sure they're fine. You can focus on finding that thing and making sure it doesn't hurt anyone."

"I will. Safe travels, my friend." I gave him a nod.

He smiled and nodded back. "Sure. Good luck, Oz."

With that, he hung up and I remained silent for a few moments. This creature was strange, enough to make me think it was truly a dragon. Most importantly though, was that it seemed to not like Grimm, and it was strong enough to deal with a small army itself. Was it sentient, or did it had a mind similar to an animal?

In any case, this creature could pose a lot lf troubles… or solve them. It was clear, however, that Salem could not get to it first. If she did, she might get rid of it, or worse, turn it to her side and add another weapon to her arsenal.

We don't have much information about the creature, but if it was as dangerous as Qrow had described it, having it against us is not something we could afford. Salem had been relatively quiet recently, except for the attack at that town to attract huntsmen and kill them. She might make her next move soon.

And we need to be ready.

* * *

 **/ Gore P.O.V. /**

After the training session those two had, the rest of the day went mostly uneventful. Ruby did have a lot of questions for me, but most of them could be summarized in two: were there any other dragons and what powers did I have.

And I must admit, it turned out to be a fun conversation. She was so in awe by everything I described, especially when I told her about some fights I had with them. Inferiors were easy enough to deal with, but I also had my fair share of fights with some Elders. A shame I didn't get to talk about Dalamadur. Her reaction would have been priceless.

Most of the ones that I fought were both young and reckless or with an ego so high that beating them was quite easy. After a while, Summer joined in and I discovered I could talk to both at the same time, so that will also come in handy, at least to not repeat myself.

We went to sleep rather early and the next morning went mostly the same, with training and Ruby asking me questions. At this point, I was seriously wondering how her eyes hadn't fallen out with how open she had them most of the time. That was, until Summer came out from the house, dressed in her combat outfit and with the sword. "I'm going to do a little clean up around the house." She told us. "Want to come?"

"I might join you later, Sum. Yang still wants to keep training." Said her husband. He then turned to the eldest daughter. "You don't need to keep pushing it, ya know? I can already tell you're above most of the students that will enter. Trust me, I teach there."

"I know." The girl admitted. "But this is fun, and I know you and uncle Qrow will give me extra work, so this will help a lot." She grinned and entered the same combat stance she had been using these past few days.

"Atta girl." Her father did the same and prepared to block her daughter's next attack.

Summer smiled and shook her head. "What a surprise." She then turned to me. "What about you, Gore. Feeling up to it?"

I shrugged and got up. _'Sure. I have nothing better to do and I need to stretch.'_

"But I still have more questions!" I turned and saw Ruby pouting. That dog was at her side, as always. "Please!" She then gave me those _annoying_ 'puppy eyes', as humans call them. Every time she or Summer used them on me, they got away with whatever they wanted.

And I had only been in this island _for a day_!

Before she could continue her relentless assault, Summer stepped in. "Let him come, little petal. He can answer your questions later, okay?" Summer had a smile on her face as she rubbed Ruby's hair. How does she manage to resist that face!?

Maybe those that use it have some sort of immunity to it…

Ruby relented. "Okay, mom." She looked down for a moment but smiled back at us. "But you have to promise!"

I turned my head to the side. _'Hmm?'_

"When you come back, you will tell me more stories about your world!" She looked very excited. Was I _that_ good at telling stories? Well, several decades of living in my world _does_ give many things to talk about.

' _Sure. I'll tell you more when I come back.'_ I answered.

But to my surprise, she shook her head. "No. You have to promise!" She raised her hand, with her palm open at me. "Like this¡"

Summer let out a small giggle and I smiled. Children were fun to be around. Well, _Ruby_ was fun to be around. I rolled my head and smiled. _'Fine.'_ I raised my wingarm just as she had with her own hand. _'I promise.'_

Her smile became brighter. "Okay! Bye Gore!" She then turned to Summer and she planted a kiss on her cheek. "Bye mom!"

Summer hugged her and kissed her on her head. "I'll be back soon, my little petal." She walked to my side as I stretched. "So, shall we go?"

I nodded. _'Right behind you.'_

We entered the forest, and luckily for me, most of the trees had enough space for me to walk with relative ease. And if not, well, I could always make a pathway myself. The forest was dense, though the trees were easy to break or cut down, even for Summer. And that sword was like nothing I had ever seen before. Trees, Grimm and even myself! Thank the Ancients Summer was the one wielding it.

As for hunting, well… My previous encounters had been interesting, even entertaining, I would say. But here, in Patch, there were almost no Grimm. It was more a walk down the forest than a hunting trip. Any Grimm that tried to harm us was killed quicker than they could blink.

And more than patrolling, Summer seemed to have a clear direction where she was going. It wasn't hard to notice after a while, even if I was centered on using our connection to look around the forest. By the cold and the state of the leafs, I assumed we were in Autumn, closing to Winter.

We kept walking for a while until we ended up reaching a cliff. This one had more forest underneath and we could see the sun already moving up in the sky. This place must make for a great spot to see the sunrise. Now that I had eyes, I should try to enjoy it. Unfortunately, the sun was already high in the sky, so maybe next time.

Summer walked forward, close to the edge of the cliff. From our link, I could feel a tinge of sadness from her, and I think something else. Nostalgia, maybe? Before I could dwell on it, she spoke. "I discovered this place during one of our team missions back when I was at Beacon. I fell in love with it the moment I saw it." Her back was turned to me, but I could feel she was smiling. Remembering something, probably.

"When Tai and Raven settled in here, they bought the house and reformed it." She let out a small laugh. "They made the counters on the kitchen too tall for me to reach. Then again, I think we didn't expect for Raven to leave Tai and Yang." So, the girl's mother was still alive, she just left. Why, though? It still had me curious.

"And when I entered their lifes, as wife and mother I mean, I rediscovered this place." She sat down and I walked closer. "When things are troubled or I just need some time to think, I come here and let my thoughts roam. Sometimes, Tai or my little girls make me company, but other times, I come alone."

I sat a bit behind her. The cliff looked stable, but my weight may be too much for it. When I noticed she had stopped talking, I took the chance to speak myself. _'So you need to think about something now?'_

I had my head right beside her, but she kept looking forward. "How could I not? I almost died, made friends with you and discovered other worlds exist. And that's not even talking about this." She laid the sword on her lap. "It cuts through everything I tested it on. Even you! And you leave fights with Grimm without a single scratch!"

She sighed. "There are so many things on my head…" She looked at me. "I need some time to think."

We stood in silence for a few minutes. It was calming, but my curiosity got the better of me, and with the two of us alone now, it might be the best time to ask. _'You also hide many secrets.'_

She straightened up and looked at me. "What?"

' _You have kept things hidden, even from your family.'_ I said in a calm voice. _'You didn't tell them about the woman that attacked you, nor that she seemed to be siding with those creatures.'_

"A-ah, well, t-that's because-"

' _You are also hiding something related to the Grimm. I could tell it when we first spoke in the cave.'_ My tone was calm. I wasn't angry, just curious. _'Is it related to the woman in the town?'_

She rubbed her arm and looked away from me. "Well, they are related in a way, but…"

' _Why keep it hidden? If a human was working with your mortal enemies, then bringing in more people might help.'_ I continued. _'Maybe there are more like her. And if they are, don't you want your family to know about them? For them to be safe.'_

"I-I do. But it's more complicated than that."

' _Complicated how? She was trying to kill you and your friend.'_

Summer looked more nervous by the second. "I know, but it doesn't depend on me! Not alone, at least." She shook her head. "The person behind all of that is too powerful to-"

Person? What person? _'Person behind what? The Grimm? Didn't you said they were mindless and guided by hate towards humanity and these… Faunus you talked about?'_

She realized her words and her eyes went wide. I looked at her while she sighed. "I… shouldn't have said that. There are several reasons why we keep things secret as they are."

' _We?'_ Her eyes grew wide again and she groaned, burying her head in her hands. _'You are not very good at this, are you?'_

She shook her head. "It's not something that comes out in conversation very often, seeing as how most of it is _secret_." She said with sarcasm. She looked at me. "Why are you asking this now?"

' _Several reasons.'_ I answered. _'We're alone and you are using this time to think. Besides, it looks like it's bothering you.'_ I kept silent for a moment. _'And I was curious'_

Summer smiled for a second before looking back at the horizon. She sighed. "If I tell you, you _must_ swear that you'll keep it secret, especially from my family. They can't know about this."

' _Why not?'_

"Because it would put them in danger." Her tone was serious, and she looked at me with pleading eyes. "Please."

I nodded. _'If you want me to, I'll keep it secret. But if it is something big, you won't be able to keep it hidden for too long. Secrets tend to surface for everyone to see, especially between you humans.'_

"I know, but as I said, it doesn't depend on me. That I am telling it to you means that I will be putting you at risk too. And I really shouldn't let other people know." She explained. "You and Tai can defend yourselves, but not my daughters. Telling them would just put them in harms way."

I turned to look at the cliff. Was the risk worth it? She said it would put me in danger, but what could it be that she is so wary to reveal? My natural instincts told me to say no and live in ignorance, to just leave her at her own fate and focus on my own survival.

Had I ever listened to my instincts before, I would not be who I am now. And I wouldn't be friends with Summer.

' _You can tell me. I may not be from this world, but maybe I can help.'_ She looked at me and I could feel some worry coming from our link.

"Are you sure? If you want to get back to your sister, this may make it harder for you." She wasn't lying, and at this point, I doubt Summer would lie to me about something so important.

And while that _did_ worry me, during all my years of life, I had discovered that, the more you knew, the better prepared you could be. _'Maybe. But not knowing it may also be a problem in the future. And if whatever you are trying to protect your family from comes to get you, I rather fight at your side than be left in the dark.'_

Summer looked at me, surprised for a moment, before smiling. "Thank you." She looked forward again and sighed. "This is going to be a long story, so get comfortable."

I nodded and she begun explaining. "The reason I didn't tell my family about that woman is because the Grimm are not as mindless as people believe. Well, they _are_ , but the one behind them isn't. She controls them and uses them to try and eradicate humanity, but she is not alone." Her eyes closed and she clenched her fists. "She has managed to sway a few to her cause and she uses them to harm humanity and the Faunus from the inside."

"Her name is Salem." She opened her eyes. "She is a being that has been living for hundreds of years, and has been behind many crimes and machinations, pulling the strings from the dark." She blinked and turned to me. "That reminds me, how old are you? You told me your kind basically doesn't age until they do that Ascending-thingy."

' _Ascension. And yes, we don't age. But we do grow and learn.'_ I looked down, trying to remember. _'If I recall correctly, I've been alive for something more than 60 of your years, maybe 70. My brother was killed when I had 30, give or take, and I have been spying on humans and taking care of my sister for at least 15.'_

"Wow." She looked at me with eyes open wide. "You're not just grumpy. You're old _and_ grumpy." She grinned and I looked at her, unimpressed. "I'm just joking. You actually look really good for having more than _60_ years."

' _I'm alive, which is more than many of the other Elders can say.'_ I continued explaining. _'It was easier for us Elders to grow before, but recently, the Hunter's Guild has been growing more and more, and they set their sights on us more often.'_ I didn't care too much about other Elders, but I would be lying if I said the situation wasn't worrying me. _'It's basically a miracle for any Elder to reach my age without being noticed and hunted down.'_

' _But enough of that.'_ I said, looking at her. _'You were talking about this Salem and the ones that backed her up.'_

"Um, right. What else… Oh!" She raised her finger before speaking again. "She is after four Relics."

I turned my head to the side. _'Relics? Like, old stuff you humans abandon?'_

"What? No, no, no, no. These Relics are objects with great power, and they are each under one of the four academies in Remnant. The four are Creation, Destruction, Choice and Knowledge. Creation is in Atlas, Destruction in Shade, Choice in Beacon and Knowledge under Heaven."

' _Then why hasn't she taken them yet?'_ I asked. _'She could infiltrate someone in the academies and take them.'_

"There's the trick!" She said. "The Relics are hidden inside four vaults that only four specific people can open. You see, long ago, a wizard gave powers to four young maidens, each related to a season, and somehow, they are linked to the vaults." She started counting fingers. "The Maiden of Fall, or Fall simply, opens the one under Beacon, Winter is linked to the one at Atlas and Shade has Summer. And no, that's not me."

This was starting to get confusing, but I was following for now. _'And Spring?'_

"Well, she is actually the reason we met each other." She had a worried look on her face. "You see, the Maiden powers of the seasons have several rules: they can only be held by women, and they are transferred upon death to the last person in their memories. If they don't think about anyone or if it is a man, the powers transfer randomly." She explained. "The old Spring Maiden died from old age and we managed to find the new one, but she escaped training and ran away. We were sent to find her and bring her back."

She remained silent and I went through what we had talked about, and only 3 words came to mind. _'That is stupid.'_ Summer stared at me wide-eyed and I explained. _'The Maidens, I mean. I can understand this Salem woman and the Relics, but the rest is plain idiotic. How long does it take to find a random woman after a Maiden dies without someone in their thoughts? What if you don't find her? You don't have access to that Relic. Or what if she is aligned with your enemy? What's stopping her from reaching the Relic that Maiden guards?'_

I continued as Summer kept staring at me. _'And you don't have any other measure to keep the Relics in their chambers apart from that? I would be surprised if none of the Maidens that will come side with Salem, because_ when _one does, you will lose a Relic and there will be nothing you could do about it.'_

Summer blinked several times before speaking. "That's… but…" She shook her head. "Okay, you're right, it's stupid. But it's magic. It's just how it works. Luckily, the vaults are under the academies, with an army of huntsmen in training and experienced teachers above them, so the Relics are safe."

That wouldn't stop a spy, but if it had worked until now, maybe it would hold. _'If you say so.'_ I still wasn't convinced, but it's not as I could change anything. _'So, when I found you fighting that woman, you were searching for the Spring Maiden?'_

She nodded. "Mhm. There had been a report that she had been seen in the town before it was destroyed and we went in search of clues. I'm guessing that the woman there was sent for the same reason, under Salem's command. Luckily for us, she didn't find it either."

I remained silent for a while, gathering my thoughts. The monsters that lived in this place were controlled by a woman, which wanted to bring the end to this world, and she was also after 4 Relics of great power, which only means of keeping them away from her were 4 women, called Maidens, acting as keys to 4 different vaults. These Maidens could be anyone as long as they were women, even if they sided with Salem. Add to that what I already knew about this world, and what do we get?

Stupidity and nonsense on _all_ kinds of levels.

I sighed. _'I still think this is utterly_ dumb _. Auras, Semblances and now this!? I don't even know if I can return to my own world, by the Ancients sake!'_

Welcome to Hell! Population: one extremely annoyed dragon!

Summer looked away with a nervous expression. _'But I trust you.'_ She looked back. _'I can understand why you and the people that know about it want to keep it secret. And if you want me to keep it too, I will.'_

"Thanks." She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. "You know, I actually feel better now. As if a weight had been taken off my shoulders."

I smiled. _'Maybe if you took your cape off, you would feel even lighter.'_

"Ha, ha, ha." She 'laughed' in a monotone voice. "You are starting to get a sense of humor, but you need to work on it."

I nodded. _'Yeah, I'm not pretty_ humerus _.'_

It took a moment for Summer to realize, but the moment she did, she groaned and fell backwards from her sitting position, laying on the floor. "And now you've ruined it."

I kept smiling as she got up. _'If I have to keep your secret, you'll have to keep up with my jokes.'_ Suddenly, I realized something I had forgotten to ask. _'You said that there were more people that knew about this. Who?'_

"Well, there's Ozpin and Qrow, the man that was with me in the town." She kept listing a few more. "The headmasters of the academies, maybe some of their trusted huntsmen, the Maidens, obviously, and Glynda, one of the teachers at Beacon and Oz's 2nd in command."

' _I thought there would be less.'_ I said.

"We aren't many, if you think about it." She said, as she dusted her pants off. "But we can't have the public knowing about this: it would cause panic, and attract the Grimm."

I nodded. This just got _far_ more complicated than I thought it would be, but I'm glad I know. This might have posed a problem in the future if I hadn't asked. And Summer seemed happy having someone to trust on this. It didn't bring me closer to returning to my sister's side, but I won't stop trying.

And, luckily, I wasn't alone.

* * *

 **/ Pyrrha Nikos P.O.V. /**

"She is stable." Said my mother, as she came out of the room. "Her wounds weren't too deep, but her arm is broken and her ankle was sprained."

"Will her Aura heal her?" Asked Kay, who had been here with us. He had been really nice and he seemed to know my father.

"That's the thing. She doesn't have her Aura unlocked." That surprised me, and my father and Kay looked the same. "But is clear that she has training: her arm had a sling and most of her wounds were band aided. The problem was that she kept going and her wounds kept opening. I had to clean all of them and stitch a few. Her ankle will be fine, but she can't put weight on it for a couple of days."

The news made me relax and I could see my father and Kay calming down too. "That's good news." Said my father. "Any idea of who she is?"

Mom shook her head. "There's no identification of any kind on her. Her clothes were made to hunt, though. Resistant and flexible, providing some protection, similar to a huntsmen outfit."

Kay hummed and stroked his chin, where he had a small stubble. "I had never seen a huntress that looked like her, either here or when I go back to Mistral. You?" He asked my father.

Dad hummed. "No. And I don't think she is recently graduated: she is too young and she would have an ID card from the Huntsmen Association."

Kay nodded and my mother looked back at the room. "So we don't know who she is. Maybe her town was destroyed and she escaped, but we would have known if something like that happened close by."

"The only town that was destroyed around here recently was Hikari, and it was still a couple of weeks ago." Continued my father. "I highly doubt she is from there."

"I don't think so either." Said Kay. "The others and I scouted the town's surroundings after the Grimm thinned, and we didn't find anyone."

My mother crossed her arms and looked at both of them. "Whatever the case, we are not leaving her to her own luck. We'll wait until she wakes up and take her to Leonardo. He will not what to do." She walked towards dad before he could speak and pointed a finger at his chest. "And that's final, Hector."

Mom had the same look she used when she was about to enter a fight. It was scary and dad knew why. That's how they met each other, after all. Dad looked at Kay and he shrugged. "Don't look at me. She is _your_ wife."

Dad sighed and pushed mom's hand down. "Fine, we'll wait. Sanctum doesn't start until another two weeks, but I want to be back at Mistral as soon as possible."

My mother smiled and nodded. "That's all I ask." She gave dad a quick kiss (puagh!) and moved away. "Well, I'm going to wash my hands."

"And you and I should catch up, old geezer." Said Kay to my father. "It's been too long since we talked, and we've both been busy ever since you arrived at the town."

"True. Let's go downstairs, I'll take out something to drink meanwhile." Before they left to go down, my father turned to Kay. "And I am not old."

Kay shrugged. "Sure. Whatever you say, _old geezer_."

"Mom…" She turned to me and smiled.

"What is it, sweetie?"

"Can… can I go see her?" I was curious and I wanted to make sure she was fine, even if my mom had taken care of her.

Her look softened. "Sure, but don't wake her up. She needs the rest."

I smiled and nodded. Quickly, I entered the room and walked to the bed very quietly. The room was big for being a guest room, with a big window on the right side of the door and a study table under it. The bed was in front of the door and in the middle of the room, with a wardrobe on the other side of the room.

Looking to the bed, I saw the woman. She had a bandage on her forehead and the rest of her body was covered by the blankets. I still could see the sling around her neck, though. Her face had a couple of cuts, but she was very pretty. She had short black hair, not reaching further than her neck, with a skin tone similar to mine. She had a small nose and a horizontal cut over it, but this one was older than the rest.

Looking at her, I noticed she was relaxed: her breathing was calm and steady and she didn't seem to be I pain. Looking around, I noticed her outfit was hung on the wall. Most of it was made of a strange purple leather, with metal shoulder and kneepads, long stockings and a skirt. It didn't look heavy and it seemed pretty flexible.

Turning back to the woman, several questions came to mind. Who was she? What happened to her? Was she really a huntress? What weapons did she have? Had she lost them? Why didn't she have her Aura unlocked?

And why did she talk about a dragon when we found her?

* * *

 **/ Random vacuoan merchant P.O.V. /**

Well, this sucked.

We had to move camp or risk being attacked by a group of bandits that our scouts had seen following our trail the last night. We still had some advantage over them, but if these idiots didn't wake up already and started moving, they would catch us and leave what remains to the Grimm.

Making matters worse, a couple of our sand-riders **(A.N.: basically, sand boats)** needed repairs to work properly. We weren't far from Vacuo, less than a day if we hurried, but if we wanted to make repairs and live to tell the tale, we needed to reach the city ASAP.

It was the middle of the night, and the camp was slowly being packed and being readied for the march. "C'mon, you fat lugs!" I shouted. "If we don't get this camp ready soon, we'll make for the next breakfast of the Wyrms this morning!"

That seemed to work, as in less than a few minutes, the camp was ready to go. "Sir! We have a problem!" One of our lookouts called to me and I moved closer. Taking his binoculars and looking at where the boy pointed, I scowled. There, coming through the dunes, a couple of small sand-riders made their way to us.

"They were closer than we thought, sir!"

"I can see that, you idiot!" I gave him back the binoculars and called for the rest. "We are going. _Now_!"

We were speeding away soon after, and while our transports were fast, theirs were less loaded and smaller. At this pace, we weren't going to make it to Vacuo before they reach us. I started sweating, probably of how nervous I was. I didn't want to die, gods-damn it!

Even with a huntsmen on board, we wouldn't be able to hold against them. Sure, we weren't defenseless, but they were more and most of them would have their Auras unlocked. This was a bad spot and it kept getting worse by the moment. I looked around and noticed everyone was nervous and sweating as much as I, except for the huntsmen, who was sweating but didn't look as bad as us.

As I moved to the bridge, drops of sweat kept falling down and I stopped to look at myself and take of the coat I had for the cold nights. I was nervous, and afraid, but not this much. No, there was something wrong. It was too hot for a night in the desert, and it didn't stop.

My first thoughts were a Semblance or some kind of Grimm. But I couldn't think of any type that could expel this much heat without being in front of us, and I doubted a Semblance would be the cause, especially because we were still at a distance from the bandits, and all of our transports are moving at high speed.

I turned around and walked towards the huntsman. He had a rough look, with an enormous sword on his back, and had taken off his jacket due to the heat. He was still looking at the bandits behind us when he spoke to me. "You have noticed it too?"

I nodded and walked to his side. He was a couple of heads taller than me, a giant in his own right. "Is it a Grimm?" I asked worried.

He shook his head slowly. "No. I know every Grimm from this desert like the palm of my hand, and, while there are few than can expel heat or even flames, none of them could do it without being in right in front of us."

"A Semblance, then?"

"I thought the same, but look." He pointed at the bandits, still far from us, but coming closer with the stars and night behind them. "With the ups and downs from the dunes, the distance and it covering the entirety of our small fleet, it would be impossible for someone to-"

A roar cut him off and we both turned to look up. The only signals that we weren't alone were the shadow covering the stars as it flew… and the fireball that it tossed to one of the three 'boats', the one to our left, to be more specific.

The pilot managed to dodge the attack, making the fireball impact on the dune beside it, creating an explosion of sand. "What is that thing!?" I shouted to the hunter, trying to make myself heard over the shouting and ruckus of our transport, now in chaos.

"I… don't know." Those three words send shivers down my spine as I looked up again, trying to discern the creature.

I didn't took long, as it launched another fireball at us. Thankfully, precision didn't seem to be its forte and we were able to dodge the attacks. The problems only grew, however, when the bandits took the chance to speed up to try and catch us before we were melted down.

And the heat in our sand-riders didn't stop.

Life seemed to have a bone to pick with us, because the creature decided to come down and try to land on one of our riders.

The one I was in.

Fuck.

It came down and managed to land, making the rider shake a lot. Before I could get a good look at it, it roared and made all of us cover our ears. It wasn't able to strike, though, as it lost balance as we passed _through_ a dune instead of above it due to the extra weight.

The huntsman took this chance, and with what seemed to be his Semblance, bursted into red flames and shoulder-charged the creature. Even with the size difference (the creature being triple the height of him), he was able to push one of its four legs down, making it fall with a roar.

The change in weight twisted the sand-rider to the side and made the creature lose hold of the ship, falling down to the sands and rolling away from us. The pilot stabilized the ship and I looked back at the being. I had only managed to get a faint look because of all the chaos, but it was some sort lion-dragon combination, with mostly blue skin and four legs apart from the wings.

Overall, it looked nothing like any Grimm I had ever saw, and by the look the hunter had, neither had he seen anything like it.

The creature rose from the sand and roared, but then it took notice of the bandits approaching it. While they attempted to dodge it, the creature flew to one of them, but instead of landing this time, it flew over, and spilled a torrent of flames on the unlucky crew.

I didn't feel anything for them at the time. I was too scared and out of my mind to think correctly. The creature then turned to the other, and this time, it charged into it, making the thrusters of Gravity Dust that held the ship lose their hold on the ground and flipping it over.

It didn't bother to pursue us any further, as it landed and begun lighting on fire everything around it. Even when we lost sight of it, we could still see the lights that came from fires the thing was creating. And the further away we got, the less heat we felt, until the temperature returned to normal.

When everything calmed down, many of the crew went to thank the hunter, myself included. But after that, I entered my cabin and slumped down when I closed the door, letting out a long breath and bringing my hands to my face, rubbing it and groaning.

I couldn't quit my job, but next time, I'll be damned if I don't use bullheads.

* * *

 **A.N.: so here we have the other side of the coin. Gorey doesn't want any attention, but the new one doesn't give a fuck about being hunted. And yes, for those still wondering, it** _ **is**_ **a Lunastra. I think someone guessed it on the reviews.**

 **The armor that Pyrrha describes is the Jaggi S Armor, btw. If you want to look for a picture, there you have it.**

 **One thing I want to leave clear is that Gorey is actually the Gore Magala that we hunt on the main questline of MH4/U, though this time things have changed for** _ **obvious**_ **reasons.**

 **Now, Reviews!**

 **Deathangles14: I'm glad you like the new title. :)**

 **darkvampirekisses: if Ruby is adorable by nature, lil Ruby is a natural disaster of cuteness.**

 **thefoolishman: maybe, maybe not. She is an Elder Dragon full of herself, though. As for going south, well, see for yourself.  
He'll warm up to our cute corgi, don't worry, although being compared to a dog isn't something he liked. He is still a bit prideful, even if he doesn't let himself be affected much by it.  
Summer being alive will **_**obviously**_ **change the timeline. And** **that manipulative jerk** **Ozpin will have to take this problem carefully, just as Salem when she discovers.**

 **UndeadLord22: don't worry, I think I get what you meant. And thank you.**

 **Lord-Azrael3: thank you~.**

 **animeandgamelover2: sorry, can't spoil it. Not all things will be good, but not all of them will be bad either.**

 **Guest: *click* Noice (this counts as a thank you, btw).**

 **Ill: it will be hard yes, but Gorey is patient and, most of the time, doesn't care what others think of him, especially humans.  
I don't think so, but he still can get in his angered state **_**and**_ **the True Frenzy state.  
Well, now that he has eyes, maybe, but it will be more like: someone discovers him, he holds them hostage until Sum convinces them to shup up about him, or he eats them in one go. Depends on whether they are important to Summer and him or not. And if he is hungry.**

 **Raptorex: yup, you got it. And I shall keep providing.**

 **Guest: thank you. And yes, most of MHxRWBY crossovers feature OP hunters. Not that there's anything bad, just that it becomes a little repetitive after a while.**

 **proiu: imagine a little, cute bean with big silver eyes, and a face that puts a puppy to shame. That's lil Ruby for Gorey. And thanks.**

 **Guest: it's… honestly not a bad idea, but the Frenzy messes up Auras** _ **bad**_ **and comes with a lot of pain, so I don't know if they will end up using it. Very good idea, though!**

 **RabidArmenian: thank you! I'm glad you liked it and that you picked up Ultimate. It's definitely one of the best games I've ever played and I would love to see a Gore on MHW.**

 **CoreFinder: thank you! And yes, Remnant will have a lot of problems as the story goes on.**

 **Talking about games, have you guys tried Apex Legends. I'm playing it with my friends (alongside For Honor, that is free this month on PSN) and I like it. Not something I would call great, but definitely fun with friends.**

 **I hope you enjoyed!**

 **Have a great day!**


	9. Chapter 7: Complications

**A.N.: hello there! I almost don't manage to finish this before I went to class. In any case, here you have it. Less time to write, as I said before**

 **Enjoy!**

* * *

 **Black Dragon, White Rose**

 **Chapter 7**

 **Complications**

 **/ Gore P.O.V. /**

My talk with Summer yesterday seemed to have cleared her mind, if only just a bit. For someone so bad at hiding secrets, she was extremely good in holding in emotions until she could vent. But explaining it to me had lifted a weight from her shoulders, I could tell.

In fact, it may have left her _too_ happy. That same night, Ruby came to me because she had a nightmare. When I asked why she wasn't with her sister or her parents, she said that Yang wouldn't wake up and that she heard strange muffled noises coming from Summer's room. When I focused my feelers on their bedroom, I immediately regretted it.

I did not need that image on my mind! Not that I had anything against enjoying the act of procreation, mind you, but I so did _not_ need to see that!

I would have blushed if I could! And right in front of 'interrogation machine' Ruby, which would have asked why I was blushing!

Luckily, we both fell asleep soon after. But not before taking note of _teasing_ Summer the next day. She wanted me to have a sense of humor, right? And by how Ruby's sister had shown to be a master in the art several times, I decided to give it a go. My sister also liked doing it to me a few times, so it might be a good idea to know why she liked it.

Seeing as how I could no longer go around scaring and beating hunters, I would resort to other less violent methods of… entertainment. It was _always_ funny to get some reactions out of humans.

So when the morning came, and Summer began her routine of making breakfast, I greeted her with a smile, with little Ruby still under my wing. _'Good morning, Summer. Had fun last night?'_ I said as I used our link to see. I didn't want to miss this.

"Mhm." She answered absentmindedly, and I gave her a couple of seconds to react. And react she did. A small tinge of red made her way to her cheeks and she looked at me wide eyed. "What!? I-I mean… I um…"

' _You should be careful with how loud you are.'_ I lifted my wing and showed her how Ruby complained in her sleep at the sudden light. _'You woke her up. Imagine her reaction if she had opened the door to your room.'_

That wasn't completely true, but I was having _so much fun_ , as Summers cheeks reddened more and more. _'You're lucky she decided to come to me. Then again, the muffled sounds coming from your room didn't leave much to the imagination'_

Her face looked as if it was about to explode from embarrassment. I heard humans were reticent to talk about this things in general, but this was hilarious! Now I just needed the final straw. _'You should have made sure that the room was clean before doing it, though.'_ She looked at me with a raised eyebrow. _'After all, I had nothing else to focus my feelers on at that time at night.'_

I didn't actually watch the… performance, but her reaction was worth the small lie. She looked like she was about to start steaming from her ears! I couldn't hold it anymore and started laughing. "You… you perverted jerk!"

She started throwing things at me from the window while I kept at it. I could feel Ruby stir in her sleep, most probably waking up from my laughter and her mother's shouting, but I didn't care at the moment. This was great! If I had knew I could get this reaction out of humans, I would have done this sooner. Then again, I could only do it because of Summer and our link, but still!

As we both calmed down, I looked at Summer, only to see her giving me a glare that would be scary, if not for the still red tinge in her face. _'Relax, I'm just joking. When I noticed what you two were doing, I gave you privacy.'_ That seemed to calm her down, if only just a bit. But I wasn't done yet. _'Then again, I couldn't stop myself from hearing, even when I didn't want to.'_

I could feel her anger and embarrassment flare up again while I performed, to the best of my capabilities, what humans called a 'shit-eating' grin. Why they called it that was beyond me, but that didn't take away the fun of using it. Before Summer could shout at me again, Ruby woke up. With a cute yawn, she brought our attention to her. "Good morning, mom. Morning Gore."

Summer snapped out of it quickly, though not fully. "Um… g-good morning, little petal! How did you sleep?"

Ruby rubbed her eyes. "I had a nightmare, but Gore let me sleep with him. What were you doing last night, mom? I heard sounds coming from your room."

I kept smiling at her while keeping my laughter in. Why was this so funny, I did not know, but I'm starting to find it appealing. "Well, your father and I were… um… training! Yeah! Since I lost my weapon, he was… erm… giving me some tips on hand-to-hand combat!"

"Then why did you shout his name several times?" Ruby was still half asleep, and I couldn't help but snicker at the look on Summer's face as she tried to come up with an excuse.

"W-well, y-you know how your father can be in training." She seemed to have recovered some composure. "I had to yell at him when he went a little… overboard."

That's my cue. _'Just a little?'_ Ruby looked at me, half asleep, half confused, while Summer blushed and send me a glare that could melt a mountain. I, on the other hand, was barely able to contain my laughter.

Oh, by the Ancients! This was hilarious!

It reminded me of my sister, in a way. She always liked to do similar things to me. She wasn't too extreme with it, but I never understood why she liked doing it to me. I think now I know. And I can't fault her!

But as I kept thinking about her, I lost my slime and stopped paying attention to the explanation she was still giving to the curious Ruby. She must've noticed my change of mood, as she stopped glaring at me. "Ruby, why don't you go upstairs and wake up your sister?"

"M'kay." She mumbled and went inside as Summer exited. That pestering mutt was nowhere to be seen, so I assumed he was with the eldest sister.

Summer walked to me, now with a worried look on her face. "Something wrong, Gore?"

I shook my head. _'Just… remembering my sister. She used to like doing this kind of thing to me.'_ She kneeled beside me. _'At those moments I was just embarrassed and furious, but now I can't help but feel… sad, not knowing if she will tease me again. Even after her failed Ascension, I still had her around, even if she wasn't completely herself.'_

Summer nodded and patted my head. "I'm sorry. But you must keep up hope. I promised you I would help you return to your world, and I will do all that I can to do so."

I smiled a bit and nodded. _'Thanks, Summer.'_ I rose from where I was and stretched. _'I'm going to get some food. Is there something we can do today? Staying all day in the clearing gets boring, even with Ruby around.'_

She shook her head. "I was planning on going to the library later and Tai has to do a couple of things on Signal before classes start, so you can keep an eye on my two girls while we are gone."

' _Sure.'_ Not that I had anything better to do, and spending time with those two was better than doing nothing. Suddenly, a crash came from inside the house, and when I focused my feelers inside, I could see the eldest sister holding a piece of paper. By the crystal and the frame on the ground, it was probably a picture.

"Girls, what is going on in there?" Summer asked with worry. She started picking the stuff she had thrown at me as a voice came from the house.

"Nothing, mom. Just… broke a picture frame." The child still looked at the picture while she answered, flipping it over. What was she doing.?"

Summer grabbed everything and moved inside. "Be careful and don't step on the crystals then. Even with Aura, the pain will still go through."

The girl left the picture right where it had been and moved to the kitchen, with Ruby coming out of the bathroom a few moments later. I did not bother staying longer, seeing as how I was starting to get hungry myself. So I flew off to the coast in a clam pace.

* * *

It didn't take me long to satiate myself. I was walking back, eating my last catch as I focused on my surroundings. Nothing seemed amiss: there were no humans around, the animals had scattered and the Grimm were so few and far in between that I doubt I would even encounter one on my back if I walked all the way.

Even the birds flew away from me. It was natural, after all. I was a predator and they were scared of me, even if I wasn't going to attack them. In fact, all those feathers and little bones would do more trouble than good if I tried to chew them. Paying them no mind, I kept walking: tree, tree, Grimm, tree, tree, flock of birds flying away, tree, tree, crow looking straight at me, tree, and, oh what a surprise, another tree..

Wait…

I turned my head around and noticed that there was, in fact, a lonely crow looking at me. Now, I didn't know much about crows, but just as _any_ other bird, they _always_ flew away from me. This one, though, kept looking at me and didn't seem to mind that it had my full attention. Even the Inferiors were keen enough to not grab the attention of an Elder most of the time.

The bird cawed at me and kept twitching it's head in small ticks. No, something wasn't right here. I walked closer to the tree it was in. The branch was higher than me, but I could reach it with ease. We were only a few meters away and it kept staring at me. It either was extremely intelligent or extremely dumb.

Or maybe… no, right? A Semblance couldn't work like that…

Now, someone may call me paranoid here. Hell, even my sister and brother did so from time to time, but I knew humans were resourceful and clever. And, trapped in a world away from mine, with different rules and problems, I wasn't going to leave anything to luck.

Thanks to Summer and Ruby, I knew that I could see the souls of Silver Eyed humans, but I haven't tried focusing my Semblance on normal humans or animals. I didn't need, nor did I want, to form a bond with a _crow_ of all things, but if I managed to see this animal's soul, it would prove that I can see other souls rather than just the ones of Summer and Ruby.

I wasn't using the connection with Summer right now, so I just focused on my Semblance. I still didn't know how to use it apart from when I wanted to form a bond or use Summer's eyes, but I didn't give up. The crow kept looking at me intently and I felt my Aura around me, and a moment later, I pulled from my own soul, not from the connections I had.

And, surprisingly, it worked! I thought it would take more than that.

In any case, I still couldn't see, but it was different. Looking at the crow, I could see a bright light just at its center. It was its soul, and for a bird, it was big. Strange. I would have thought that animals would have smaller souls. In fact, it seemed to be just as big as Summer's, though it was obviously not silver. Red, actually. It also seemed… modified, as if someone had tampered with it ever so slightly. If I didn't know it was a crow, it could have fooled me into being a…

Wait a minute…

I turned around and searched the clearing. The crow cawed and flew to another tree, keeping me on it's view. After a few seconds, I found what I was searching for. It was a nest, in the trunk of a tree. Without walking too close, I looked inside. There were the offspring and one of the parents.

And the soul of the bird was completely different from the crow. It was smaller, far less powerful and colorless. It seemed fragile in general, while the crow's was strong and resistant, just like Summer's.

Just like a human.

I turned to the crow and growled. Before it could try to fly away, I jumped at where it was and tried to catch it. With my teeth. It let out a scared caw and flew up. If it thinks that in the sky lies its advantage, I had a little surprise for it.

* * *

 **/ Qrow P.O.V. /**

Holy shit!

I barely managed to jump away when that thing tried to eat me alive! It didn't have eyes, but I could see it had figured I wasn't a crow the moment it turned around. How did that thing find out I was not a bird!?

When I reached Patch, I saw a strange shadow jump from up from the cliffs and into the forest, so I followed it. What I discovered made me scared and enraged at the same time. That thing, the dragon that had attacked us in the village, was now on Patch, and it looked to be heading to Summer's house!

I wasn't sure, of course, so I followed it. Imagine my surprise when that thing noticed me up in a branch, with its back turned to me! It may not have eyes, but the thing can see its surroundings pretty well.

It continued to confuse me when it became interested in me. Part of wanted to fly away and warn Sum, but I couldn't let that thing follow me, and I was honestly curious as to what it was thinking. After a few seconds in silence, the beast looked around, until it stopped on the hole of a tree and peeked inside.

Well, I'm guessing it peeked, but I can't tell. That thing has no eyes!

And then, just like that, the monster turns and jumps at me. Which leads me to my actual… situation. That thing had wings, I had seen it use them, so I couldn't fly to Sum's home or to the settlement. With that in mind, I turned to the other side of the island.

Surprisingly, luck seemed to be on my side this time. I had taken a good head start and-

The sound of leaves rustling and branches breaking made my head turn around and- holy fuck! I dodged right, making the enormous being miss by an inch. If that thing looked big with me being human, imagine while being a bird. One single fang was almost as big as me!

I managed to catch sight as it looped up and then down, following me almost instantly. That thing was fast in the air too!? I had seen it take Summer away, but this is on another level! And while I was relatively fast in this form, there's no way I could keep up with-

I suddenly had to dive and change direction as the dragon tried to eat me. Again! Okay, Qrow, think. That thing already knows I am not an actual crow, and I doubt I can outlast it, much less outran it. I could try to lose it on the forest below, but that creature was extremely aware of its surroundings, so that probably wasn't an option either.

So that left my with either guiding it to Sum and the kids or fighting it. And I'll be damned if I let this monster close to the kids.

I looked behind me and saw the dragon catching up to my smaller form. Fuck it. If that thing wanted a taste from me, I would give it to him… her? Whatever. I wasn't going down without a fight. This thing is dangerous, and if I can stop it from harming anyone, specially Ruby and Yang, then so be it.

I waited until the thing was closer to me, and then transformed back into my human form. "Surprise, motherfucker!" I also had to take the chance to swear. Sum wouldn't let me do so, specially after she started taking care of Yang.

As I turned around, I readied Harbinger and slashed at the things face before it could react. My attack connected, and as I fell down to the trees, I saw the dragon shaking its head. However, I did not feel my blade pierce the skin.

I turned around and transformed Harbinger into its scythe form, using it to hook onto a tree and spin around to reduce my speed. For a normal person, that would have probably dislocated their shoulders, but with Aura, things like this weren't a problem. I kept spinning until I reached the ground and rolled off.

Looking up, I couldn't see the dragon due to the leaves, but, right now, I needed to keep moving. I ran while trying to reach for my scroll, but, almost tripping because of a branch (Dust damned Semblance), I lost hold of it. The device fell and skidded a couple of meters out on a clearing.

I sped up and tried to reach it, only to see a shadow underneath me just as I was about to reach it. Forgetting the scroll, I jumped away and barely managed to dodge the creature as it impacted on the ground beside me. I quickly got up and readied my weapon.

There was a crater where my scroll _had_ been. Looking up, I found the creature standing with in a low position, ready to fight. And while I had hunted many Grimm, this thing send shivers down my spine. I had seen it a few days back, but this was the first time I gave it a _real_ good look as a human: the mist combined with the black and purple from its scales made for an already terrifying appearance. Combined with its size, it only made the thing look deadlier.

But what truly made me doubt I could win was the intelligence it had. And I didn't need it to have eyes to notice this. It had discovered I wasn't a Crow and I had seen it fight the Grimm back in Mistral.

Even so, I wasn't going to back down.

I grinned. "So, did you come here to finish the job?" I looked for a weakness on its posture, but it looked more like a warrior's stance than the one of an animal. "Well, last time you threw me into a building and made it crumble in me."

"But now, I'm ready for round two."

* * *

 **/ Gore P.O.V. /**

So that crow was actually a guy. I knew something wasn't right! And not any human, but the one that had been with Summer the first time I saw her. This made things more complicated but easier at the same time: I couldn't kill it, I don't think Summer would like that, but if this man and Summer where friends she could convince him not to talk about me.

We kept 'staring' at each other and I pulled on the connection with Summer. The man had a red cape, short black hair, a small stubble and red eyes. He wore a grey shirt, black pants and black shoes. His weapon was a sword, smaller than a greatsword from my world, but bigger than a normal sword.

' _Hey, Summer.'_ I contacted my friend, as I circled around the man, not making any sudden moves.

She took a second to answer, most surely surprised by me. _'Yes, Gore, what is it?'_

' _I ran into a person out here.'_ At that, I could feel the panic coming from our link.

' _What!? Um.. okay, okay. Has it seen you?'_

I looked at the man for a moment. Luckily, it had only been a couple of seconds and he didn't seem to make any moves. _'Yup. He is right in front of me, and I think he is the man that was with you when I first met you.'_

' _What the what!? Qrow's here!? In_ Patch _!? He shouldn't be here until a couple of days!'_ She was surprised, that much I could tell. _'Ugh, fine. Can you hold out until I reach you?'_

' _I think you should be asking him that.'_ When I felt Summer panic even more, I clarified my words. _'Relax, I won't kill him. Just… toss him around a bit. And before you answer, he's ready to fight, and I'm not going to just stand and take it.'_

I stopped after I rounded him completely and lowered my stance. _'Okay, just make sure he doesn't get permanently hurt. Where are you?'_

' _In a clearing, west to the place we talked yesterday.'_ Finally focusing on the man in front of me, I growled.

"Tch. You think that will scare-?" And roared at him, making the man clutch his ears in pain. After I finished, the man groaned and gripped his weapon again.

"So that's how this is gonna go, huh?" He grinned. "Okay, then. Can't say I haven't been itching to do this."

 **(Play: Sick Puppies - You're going down – with lyrics.)**

The man ran towards me, and while he was faster than most hunters from my world, I was even faster. He tried to cleave my head, and I moved aside. Quickly, he swung to the side and hit my head. I doubted his weapon would have even harmed me, but with Aura, I didn't even feel a thing.

In fact, his weapon bounced off and he looked at it surprised. "What the…?" He looked at me. "No way. You have Aura…" Before he could react, I jumped at him. He dodged my claw at the last second but I swatted him away with my other paw. He went flying for a while until he rolled and stood again.

Glaring at me, he charged and came closer. My idea was to stomp him down, but he jumped over the strike and onto my back. "Ha! What are you going to do now, you overgrown lizard!?" Well, what I do with overconfident idiots that manage to get on my back.

Throw them off.

I shook a bit to make him lose balance, and before he could grab hold, I got him with my left wingarm and brought him down to the ground, cracking it with my strength. Without letting go, I look at him. "Ow… what are you…" I smiled.

And started bringing him stomping him over and over. You know, that was quite fun. _'stomp_ "Argh!" _'stomp'_ "Fuck!" _'stomp'_ "Ouch!" Suddenly, the man managed to change his weapon and aim a cannon at my face. It fired and, while it didn't do any actual damage, it did make me recoil and lose the grip I had on him.

I rubbed my head as he stood up. "Okay, I think we had enough fun." His weapon transformed from a sword to a scythe. Wait, now that I think of it, he did attack me with a scythe mid-air before. This time, I decided to take the initiative and charge at him.

Before reaching him, I made a small jump and brought down my front legs with all my strength and my Aura. He managed to dodge the hit, but the force behind it made the ground break and send a shockwave that threw him away. He got to his feet and ran at me, swinging at my neck, which I blocked by bringing down my wingarm before he could strike.

He proceeded by twisting around and cutting upwards under my neck. That _did_ hurt and made me recoil, but thanks to my Aura, he wasn't able to harm me. I growled and moved to attack, swinging my claws left and right to try and hit him. He dodged and parried, but I was faster than he thought and landed a hit, making him stumble away a few meters.

Groaning, he got up and his glare became deadlier. He clutched his stomach. "You're not pulling any punches, huh?" Actually, I was. If I had hit you with my Virus, you wouldn't be standing right now, if what happened with the woman that attacked Summer was anything to go by.

He spitted on the ground and I noticed it carried a bit of blood. But, instead of charging as before, he changed his weapon and begun running around me and firing. He aimed at my head and I covered myself, and he started firing at my back legs. Now, the shots were not harming me, but I could feel the damage to my Aura. But I had an idea.

I waited until he reached behind me and I reached to the ground with one of my wingarms. Focusing my Aura on it, I pulled away and grabbed a chunk of earth. Turning around, I saw the man stare at me wide-eyed, and I took the chance to throw my makeshift projectile at him. He managed to throw himself to the side and avoid the attack, though.

While he recovered I jumped upwards with the help of my wings, and propelled myself towards where the huntsman was. To his credit, he recovered rather quickly, but I was already reaching him by the time he got up. The only thing he could do was bring his scythe to protect him.

Suffice to say, it didn't work very well for him.

I brought my wingarm down, empowered by Aura, and hit him with all my strength. I heard something crack and I saw the man being thrown backwards, hitting a tree and- oh, wait, he broke right through it and impacted the next- and another tree down. He stopped at the third and I could see his Aura flash and disappear, but he was still conscious.

…

I may have gone a _bit_ too far with that last attack.

 **(End music)**

Looking closer, I saw that I had also broken the handle of the scythe he carried. The blade had hold, but my attack had separated the enlarged handle almost in half. The man groaned and slowly regained his senses. When he looked at his weapon, he sighed and slumped. "Just my luck…"

I seriously need to get some control over the strength of my Aura. I had never felt this strong, but without control over it, it wouldn't be as useful.

The man used his weapon as leverage to stand, or to try to, as he had to kneel clutching his stomach. Did I really hit him _that_ hard? Suddenly, the tree behind him started cracking. Turning around, he stared wide-eyed as the tree slowly fell onto him. And without Aura, he would most surely get crushed.

I sighed. I couldn't get a rest, could I? The man closed his eyes and attempted to cover himself with his arm

Before the tree reached him, I jumped and caught it with one of my wingarms. When he noticed he wasn't dead, he opened his eyes and looked at me and the tree. "You… saved me. Why?"

Suddenly, I felt a familiar presence through my feelers running towards us. Not a second later, Summer popped from behind the bushes, followed by streak of white petals. "Don't fight him, Qrow!" She said, taking deep breaths. "He's not-!"

She looked at us and noticed how I was holding the tree above her friend. This was followed by a few seconds of uncomfortable silence for the two of them. I simply stared at Summer, huffed and dropped the tree at the side, startling both. She is the reason I saved you, bird man. You should be thankful.

I turned to Summer and walked closer. _'A little late for that, don't you think?'_

Before Summer could speak, the man shouted. "Sum, watch out! It's dangerous!" He tried to get up again, only to stumble and almost fall, saved just in time by stabbing his weapon on the ground.

Summer rushed to his side and helped him get up. "Gore!" She shouted at me after she got a hold of him. "I told you to not hurt him!"

I shrugged. _'And I told you I was going to defend myself. Though I may have gone a bit too far with that last attack.'_

The man, now a little bit more recovered, looked at Summer. "Sum, what's going on?"

She laughed nervously and looked at me. At this point, it would be better to just explain to it to him, so I nodded. "Well, you see, I didn't get here via bullhead. He" she pointed at me with her chin, "brought me here after I, um, kind of unlocked his Aura."

The man couldn't have opened his eyes more even if he wanted to. "So, Qrow, this is Gore. Gore, this is my friend Qrow." She looked sternly at me. "Now, apologize for doing this to him."

What!? _'He attacked first! I was just defending myself!'_

She then turned to look at Qrow. "Is that true? Did you attack him first?"

"Sum, that thing" I growled loudly, but he continued, "chased me in my crow form trying to _eat me_!"

Her glare was turned once again at me. _'Don't blame me! I noticed something wrong with his soul and chased him to make sure that he didn't go anywhere!'_

Summer glared at the two of us. "We will talk about this back at home."

The man turned to her. "Summer! You can't seriously be thinking of letting that thing close to the kids!"

She smiled at him. "Trust me, Qrow. He won't harm them." She then pointed at the fallen tree behind him. "Plus, you wouldn't be standing if it wasn't for him." Damn right! "At least give him a chance."

The man sighed but nodded. "Ozpin will wanna know about this."

Summer looked at me. _'Do you trust this 'Ozpin'?'_ Summer nodded. _'Fine. But_ nobody _else, understood?'_

Why couldn't things be easy?

* * *

 **/ Ozpin P.O.V. /**

Well, while I had the suspicion something was wrong with Summer, this… was definitely _not_ what I was expecting.

I let the cup down and looked around the kitchen. Summer was sitting in front of me, to the other side of the table, with a nervous smile on her face. Taiyang was to my right, with his arms crossed and a patient expression. Qrow, on the other hand, looked angrily at the window to the backyard. He was sitting to my left.

"So," I began, getting the attention of everyone on the table, "this dragon took you away, for you to extract that sword," I signaled to the weapon in the center of the table, "from his chest." Summer nodded, still nervous.

"Then, for the next 4 days, you both lived on that cave, with him hunting for food, until your trip to the ruins of the village, where you unlocked his Aura." Summer laughed awkwardly but nodded nonetheless. "And in doing so, you discovered his Semblance, wich seems to be related to souls and bonds, and proceeded to form a bond with him, allowing communication between the both of you."

"More or less, yes." Answered Summer.

I nodded and continued. "He then explained who he was and why he was here." And while the idea from another world, with Silver Eyed warriors too, seemed farfetched, it would also explain what those two brothers have been doing all these years. "And you agreed to help him return to his world and family, which needs to be through another Silver Eyed warrior and this sword."

Qrow rolled his eyes. "Yeah, sure. How convenient."

Summer glared at him, but I intervened before it could escalate. "Now, now, Qrow. He hasn't forced Summer to take him to his world. In fact, he brought her back to her family, stopping through the journey to save a village, even if that put him at risk of being found."

Qrow looked away and Summer smiled. She then turned to me. "I assure you, professor, he is not dangerous. A little bit scary, sure, but he is trustworthy. He even formed a bond with Ruby."

"Nor dangerous!?" Asked Qrow, his anger rising. "He tried to eat me and then proceeded to beat the shit out of me through the clearing!" Summer glared at him as he kept on talking. "He ended it by going full 'meteorite' on me, breaking my weapon and throwing me through the trees! I would be dead if my Aura didn't hold!"

"But he saved you later, did he not?" I sked with a smile, making Qrow grumble and look down again. "Summer." The woman looked at me. "You are the one that spent most time with the dragon. Tell me, do you trust him?"

"Yes." Her answer was firm, without doubt. "He could have killed me and my family by now, but he hasn't. He has spent a lot of time with Ruby, humoring her most of the time. And, well, if he wasn't for him, I don't think I would have survived that day at the town."

Qrow looked like he wanted to say something, but held himself. "Do you have anything to add, Qrow? You were the one with her that day, after all."

"I say that is bullshit." Summer turned to scowl at him while Taiyang sighed. "If that thing wanted to save you, it would have left after killing the Grimm. Ozpin, I'm telling you that eyeless fuckface is dangerous and-"

"Summer CHOP!" _'clank!'_ "Ow!"

Before anyone could blink, Summer had taken the weapon by the blade and had hit Qrow on the head with the handle. Qrow was rubbing his head and Summer was glaring at him. "You know the rules of my house Qrow: no insults."

"But the girls aren't-" Summer's glare became deadlier, making Qrow shrink. "Yes, Sum."

Summer smiled and nodded. "Good." I cover the small chuckle leaving my lips, unlike Taiyang, who lets out a good laugh. "And, I know you two haven't got up to the best start, but, please, give him a chance."

The man sighed but nodded. "Fine. But if that thing" Summer cleared her throat, "if _he_ does anything suspicious, I'm putting him down."

Taiyang chuckled. "Sure, because that worked _so well_ for you last time."

Qrow glared at Taiyang, but said nothing. "May I speak with him? I would like to know our… otherworldly guest."

The woman smiled. "Sure. Though I will have to act as a translator of sorts. You know, the bond and all that." I nodded and the four of us proceeded to the backyard.

And there, I was surprised for a second time today.

There, in the middle of the clearing, was the dragon. And I had to admit, I couldn't help but notice the size and overall feeling of darkness that the creature gave out. The dragon was laying down, almost in a semi-circle. It's wings looked like they were flowing , as if they were a cape of pure darkness. The tail moved lazily around, but it looked strong, and the claws in its wings had a tinge of red, while the ones on his legs were purple.

But that dreading feeling that the dragon exuded was crushed by the sleeping figures of Ruby Rose and Yang-Xiao Long on his head, alongside the small corgi the family owned.

Summer could barely hold her laughter as the dragon turned its head towards us slowly, as to not wake up the children. "T-Tai, please, the camera." Said Summer, almost falling down as she tried to not laugh.

Taiyang, in a similar state, nodded and took a picture of the scene, while Qrow stared flabbergasted at the scene. Even I couldn't help but giggle at the sight. The dragon looked at Summer, and apparently said something, as Summer couldn't hold it any longer and bursted out laughing. Her laughter woke up the two girls and the dog. Unluckily, Miss Xiao-Long rolled to the side and fell by the side of the head with a yelp.

"Fuck!" She shouted as she hit the ground.

The laughter from Summer stopped immediately and there was a deathly silence in the clearing. Only the birds and the wind brought any type of sound to the place. "Yang, sweetheart." Summer's voice was calm and she was wearing a smile, but I could feel the anger and desire to cause pain at whoever had taught her daughter that word. "Who told you that word?"

Even the dragon was completely still, not wanting to attract the attention of Summer. "Um, I-I heard it from uncle Qrow once when he fell down the stairs."

All eyes turned to the huntsman in question, only to find him taking slow steps away from where he was. Summer turned her head _very_ slowly towards him. "Qrow, why don't you and I have a talk about what words you can and _can't_ say around my girls?"

The aura of around Summer promised pain in many levels, and Qrow could only gulp. He looked at me, with pleading eyes. I may be a powerful, reincarnating wizard, but not even I dared to get in the way of a _truly_ angered Summer and her target. I sipped on cup for a moment.

"It was nice knowing you, Qrow."

The man didn't have time to react, as Summer quickly but calmly took him away to the other side of the house, his pleas falling in deaf ears and with the woman wearing the same terrifying smile all the time.

The moment they left the clearing, everyone of us let out a breath.

And then the screams reached our ears.

"Mom can be very scary." Said the small Miss Rose.

"I must agree with that, young miss Rose." I sipped from my cup.

' _She's even scarier than Glynda.'_

* * *

 **/ Gore P.O.V. /**

As the screams ended, I gulped. I am an Elder, a dragon that can bring calamity and considered a living natural disaster. And not just any kind of Elder: my species could destroy a biome in a week, distorting the food chain and creating a new generation of my kind from the _literal innards_ of another creature. And when we Ascend, we can bring something similar to the _end of the world_.

But when Summer heard that word from her daughter, her reaction was nothing short of _terrifying_. I couldn't even move from the spot!

Mental note: never, _ever_ get on Summer's bad side.

Thank the Ancients I'm not one for swearing. In any case, I kept looking at the new arrival. The man dressed elegantly, carrying a cup and a cane. His hair was white and her overall appearance seemed to be centered around the color green. But what interested me the most was his soul.

When Summer left, I used my Semblance to look at him. And I was surprised, to say the least, but hid it from them. His soul was _weird_. It was old, extremely so. I would say that he wouldn't be too far from Dalamadur's age, though I can't say with certainty. But it didn't end there. His soul was powerful, however, it looked decaying, as if it had been losing power during the time it was alive.

What had really caught my attention, though, was that there seemed to be _another_ soul in his body. It was so faint, that I had to focus all of my mind on it to even notice, but that small bright light is, or _had been_ at some point, a soul. I was certain.

Deactivating my Semblance, I turned my attention to the father of Ruby, as he looked at the picture he had taken of me with the girls and the dog asleep on my head. Ugh, Summer was going to use that as payback, I'm sure. Why did I even agree to doing that?

…

Oh, yeah. 'Puppy eyes'.

And the fact that they had been guilt tripping me for attacking their uncle. They wanted to fly on me, but I managed to convince them to remain on land. Without something to hold onto, they may have fallen down, and I wasn't willing to take that risk.

Summer returned, with bird man following, limping and clutching one of his eyes. I let out a small laugh at bird man's pain. Although, I had to admit that the fight with him was a good way to test my Aura. I had my doubts at first, but now, I needed to thank Summer again. With some control, I'm sure it can be very useful.

Summer cleaned the dust from her hands. "Well, with that out if the way." He stepped between the man in green and me. "Ozpin, this is Gore. Gore, this is professor Ozpin, the headmaster of Beacon academy."

The man smiled. "It's a pleasure meeting you, Gore. Do you have a surname?"

A surname? Why would he want to know that? Well, if I'm being called Gore, I guess Magala would be it. _'Tell him that I don't, but that if he wants one, he can use Magala.'_

Summer explained and Ozpin nodded. "Very well, Mr. Magala. Let's get straight to the point , if you don't mind." I nodded and the man continued. "I've been told that you want to return to your world. Is that true?"

I nodded. "And, I would be right to assume that there are other dragons in that world too?" I nodded again, but before I could explain, Ruby answered faster.

"Yeah, there's a lot of them!" She shouted with excitement. "They use fire, and lightning, and they are really big! They have many sizes and forms and-!"

"Okay, little petal. I think he gets it." Said Ruby's father.

"Is that true?" I nodded and proceeded to explain some of them, without going to much into detail. "I see. If I were to show you an image from my scroll, would you be able to see it?"

I looked at Summer, confused. She shrugged. I nodded and the man took his 'not-a-scroll' out, extending it and turning it towards me.

With the link, I looked at the image. It was blurry and dark, but it was clear that there was a form in it. Some lights from outside the picture allowed to see what was in it. "Do you recognize it?"

I looked closer. It was clear that it was some kind of creature, but only when I noticed the two wings in its back that I started connecting dots. Blue scales, four legs, with a tail ending in a hairy end. It was barely distinguishable, but I was starting to fear that I knew what this creature was. My assumptions were confirmed when I looked at the small part of its face that the picture showed. It had a couple of crests, both of them blue, in front of a blue mane.

A Lunastra.

How!? Had another hunter sent it here!? Another Silver Eyed human!? Wait, if that was the case, maybe it could mean that I get a way back to my world, to my sister! That is, if the hunter had survived, of course.

"Gore, do you know what this is?" Asked Summer, now by my side.

I nodded. _'Yes. It's a Lunastra: a female Elder of fire. They are powerful, but if she is without a Teostra, her mate, she can be defeated far easier.'_

Summer told the man what I had said. "Can she be reasoned with?"

' _It depends.'_ It was a little annoying having someone repeat what I was saying just right after, but I guess this is was necessary if I wanted to communicate without forming bonds with _everyone_ I met. _'I am more the exception than the rule. The older ones only want to be left alone, but the young ones can be very aggressive. How big was the Lunastra?'_ A good way to know the age of an Elder without asking is by their size.

"Definitely smaller than you." That… didn't help me too much. I needed more details, so I gestured him to proceed. "Going by the crew's description and the images, I would say she must be a bit more than half your size."

Oh, then it was young. Maybe 20 to 25 years. Most probably full of herself and believing that the world belonged to her. _'Young, then. This attack was most probably she thinking that the merchant entered her territory. I can try and talk her down, but she will probably try to attack me. I doubt she will even hear a word of what I have to say. Elders are very proud and stubborn most of the time.'_

After Summer talked to him, he frowned and nodded. "I see. I was hoping we could also talk with another from your world. We may need to put her down, for our own safety."

It didn't make me happy that they wanted to kill her, but I could understand. An Elder so young can be very aggressive, and it had already attacked a caravan. It wouldn't take long for her to want to expand her territory and it will probably mean the end for any humans caught in it. But she was the only way of knowing if my sister was still alive. Maybe I could do something about it.

' _Isn't there any other way?'_ I asked. _'I don't care too much, but maybe she knows something about my sister. I don't even know if she is alive.'_

The man hummed. "If we knew her abilities, we might be able to suppress them in some way, but this has never happened before in recorded history. We know nothing about your kind."

Wait… you don't, but I do. _'But I do know her abilities. If I were to capture her, can you promise to keep her alive? Only until I can ask her what I need to know. She may not know anything, but I need to try.'_

When Summer finished, the man hummed. "If you can take her alive, then I promise to make sure she is not harmed."

I nodded. That Lunastra was the only being that may know something about my sister. And part of me didn't want her to be killed. I'm sure that back from where I come from, it all started with 'self -defense'. I knew Summer wouldn't become like the hunters back at my world, but I didn't know how the humans in Remnant would react to us.

And if that Lunastra continued attacking people, it may make my mission to return to my world much harder. I wasn't going to let that happen.

* * *

 **A.N.: and that's the end of this chapter. Ozpin and Qrow learn of Gore, Gore discovers that he is not the only one from his world, and Summer gains more ammo for her teasing. Also, Yang discovers something! I was actually planning on adding more to this chapter, but it became too long and I ran out of time. Sorry I'm a day late, btw.**

 **And yes, Ozpin is calling Gore Mr. Magala. Ozpin always addresses others with their surnames, and Gorey just gave him one, or something similar to one.**

 **About the music: most of the time it will be from MH or RWBY, but if I find a song I think that fits, I will use it. I also accept recommendations!**

 **Link: watch?v=O0M5D5OA-d4 &**

* * *

 **I'm really sorry I didn't post this on Sunday. So here you have a small apology Chibi omake!**

A relaxed Gore slept on the empty courtyard of Beacon, with Zwei on his head. It was a sunny day, with no clouds on the sky and with the birds singing softly. It seemed like nothing could disturb this peace.

Until a tired Ruby enters the scene.

"Ugh, that last exam that Peach put us through was too much!" She notices the now awake dragon and smiles nervously. "Oh! Sorry, Gore. I hadn't noticed you there. Can sit with you? I'm soooo tired."

Gore shrugged. _'Sure.'_

"Yay! You're the best, Gore!" With that, Ruby zipped under his wing and made herself comfortable. "Mmm. So comfy."

A few seconds later, Ruby fell asleep, but before Gore could do he same, Yang calls his name. "Hey, Gore. What are you doing?"

Gore lifted his wing and showed a sleeping Ruby. "Oh, I was wondering where she went after the exam." She pulled out her scroll, which showed a game playing on it. "Mind if I join?"

Gore shrugged and lifted his wing again, with Yang moving under it quickly. He let the wing down, only for another voice to reach his ears. "Ejem."

He turned his head to find Weiss standing there with a textbook. "I was studying in the library, but team JNPR started playing a game. Very _loudly_. You… wouldn't mind if I…?"

The dragon rolled his head, Zwei _somehow_ holding on it without falling, even if he was asleep, and lifted his wing, showing Ruby asleep and Yang playing the game without sound. "Oh! Hey, Weiss!" Said Yang in a whisper.

"Thank you~!" The heiress skipped happily and sat beside Ruby.

Gore was about to fall asleep, only to be approached by the last member of team RWBY. The two stared at each other in silence for a few moments, until the cat Faunus raised a book she had in her hands. "I need a place to read."

The Elder sighed but lifted his wing, Blake getting a couple of waves from her two awake friends. She smiled and nodded to Gore, moving quickly but silently beside Yang and opening her book, both her and Weiss using the light from Yang's scroll to read.

Gore smiled, happy to be rid of interruptions. He was wrong, though, as Zwei woke up and barked at another person close by. The dragon found the Headmaster sipping happily from his cup. "Hello, Mr. Magala. How's your day going?"

Gore lifted his wing and showed the four girls under it. Ruby was drooling while sleeping, but the other three turned to the professor and waved at him. He nodded with a smile, and before Gore could drop his wing again, he took a picture of the scene.

Gore looked at him, surprised. Ozpin noticed and his smile became a little bit wider. "Well, I did owe Summer a favor, and I'm sure she will love this."

Gore wanted to growl, but was silence by WBY, all of them pointing at their asleep leader. Gore sighed and dropped his head on the ground, unable to do anything. Zwei barked and dropped down, walking happily beside Ruby. The girl immediately got hold of the dog and hugged it closer.

' _Well, at least that's over.'_ Thought Gore.

Only to hear Ozpin take another picture while he couldn't move.

* * *

 **Small omake. Most of them will be Chibi, though I don't know how often I'll do them.**

 **Reviews! (You guys are giving me very good ides lately! If I find myself using them, I'll credit those that mentioned them!)**

 **Artyom-Dreizehn: I always found it funny how the characters in game carry the GS on their back as if nothing, but then go slow as fuck when they unsheathe it.**

 **Deathangles14: Qrow doesn't like Gorey too much, but Summer will act as a mediator, don't worry. Keep the counter up, my friend!**

 **Noble graysin: correct! A Lunastra it is, indeed.**

 **apostlelord: nope! (Didn't I already answer you before? Don't mind, but answer's still the same)**

 **Darkvampirekisses: First: shit, fam, u right! Sorry! Second: what? Nah! Whatchu talking about? Third: nope! Surprise, flaming dragoness!**

 **RabidArmenian: I'm glad you are liking my story and the newcomer. As for Nergi- Nergigan-Nergigante , I, uh, um, *tempered Nergigante flashbacks PTSD*. But that would definitely be a good fight.**

 **Knightwolf1875: thank you! It is a good suggestion, I'll look into it! And don't worry about his sister! She alright… probably…**

 **UndeadLord22: well, it's not fun if it isn't complicated! As for hunters, y'all shall see. Muahahahahahhahaha! And thanks!**

 **Guest: thanks! I have less time these days, but I won't stop writing!**

 **Neb: oh, Lunastras are** _ **always**_ **angry, bruh. And boi, let me tell you, the Mohrans would make any Grimm in Vacuo piss their pants! And Kulve and Ahtal Ka would be very interesting additions. Nice idea! As for Nakarkos, I'm not sure. Grimm evaporate after death, so that would be a handicap for it.**

 **Ill: thank you! And keep dropping by, you're all always welcomed here!**

 **Raptorex: if Salem tries to harm Summer again, she's gonna be** _ **fucked**_ **, let me tell ya. And you will see more of the Lunastra in the next chapter, if it wasn't obvious**

 **Guest: Summer: "Well, Gore can't talk to you, but he says he doesn't mind being your buddy!"**

 **Guest: you talked too soon, my friend. But don't worry, Summer's here to calm them down.**

 **Guest: am I creating more MH fans? Because you're like the 3** **rd** **person that wants to plays the game because of my story. And I'm glad I'm getting people into this awesome series! And thanks for the support!**

 **dspendragon125: thank you, and don't worry, you ask and I will provide!**

 **You can suggest songs or send me any omakes that you like! They'll be more than welcomed!**

 **I hope you enjoyed!**

 **Have a great day!**


	10. Chapter 8: Our loved ones

**A.N.: hello there! Next chapter of the story. I had to rewrite a couple of things but I like how it turned out.**

 **Enjoy!**

* * *

 **Black Dragon, White Rose**

 **Chapter 8**

 **Our loved ones**

 **/ Gore P.O.V. /**

A couple of days passed since I met the headmaster and the bird man. After our talk, Summer and I had agreed on helping capture that Lunastra and restraining it. Summer's husband proposed to call for help to the northern kingdom, Atlas, because of their advanced technology, saying that the scientists there might be able to help us find a way to keep her powers dampened.

I wasn't against the idea, but the headmaster didn't want to involve more people than needed, specially the scientists of that kingdom. He said that they might want to do morally dubious experiments, and without previous recordings of anything like this, they might treat her as a Grimm.

Which meant that nobody would care if she suffered or died.

When he explained that, Summer essentially forbid him from doing so, with me backing her up. There may be a few _true_ monsters out there that deserve suffering, but that Elder was my only possible source of information, and I wasn't going to allow her to suffer that fate without even knowing if she deserves it or not.

During the preparations for our journey, bird man handed Summer her old weapons back. And when she explained how they worked, I was incredibly impressed! Very few types of weapons could change form back in my world, but here it seemed like a common theme. In fact, Summer's weapon didn't have 1 or 2 forms, but 3!

The base of the weapon were 2 swords: Petal and Thorn. Petal was a beautiful curved sword, with a red flower pattern over the white blade, going from the hilt to the other end. It was also doubled-edged, which I found strange at first, seeing as how that kind of sword was used to cut from one side only. The other sword, Thorn, was a longsword, with a cannon on one of the sides of the blade, aiming forward. Thorn was almost as large as the sword bird man used, and I could see small divisions in the blade, as if it was made of different pieces. Contrasting with Petal, the blade itself was red with a white rose pattern on it.

She then proceeded to show me the transformations. The first one was activated when Summer brought both hilts together by the ends and pressed a button. Both hilts extended until Summer was holding something similar to a glaive. She could still fire the cannon on Thorn's end with the trigger close to where she now held the weapon.

The final transformation was the one that answered my questions. With another button, the curved blade rotated on the handle to a side while Thorn started dividing itself and curving to the other, doing basically the same than the bird man's sword when it transformed. The final result was a scythe with the main blade to one side and the curved sword at the other end, pointing in the other direction. This explained the small separations in Thorn and why Petal was double-edged.

Summer explained than when she saw bird man's weapon, she wanted to implement something similar to her own back in Beacon, which only had the two first modes. After a lot of work in the forge and a couple of years of training with the scythe, she even managed to defeat her partner in a match with only the new form.

According to the headmaster, she was a prodigy, but I wasn't surprised. She was an incredible fighter.

She still kept the blade she took from me, just in case her normal weapons didn't do enough damage. With how Ozpin had described it, the Elder was young, and, while it was already an adult, her scales wouldn't have the same resistance that mine. And while fire would normally be a weakness for me, I had years of experience and my scales were far more resistant than what was usual for my kind.

Oh, and Aura too. Yep, definitely going to help. Seriously, the possibilities were almost endless with this thing!

After all that, we said our goodbyes to Summer's family. The headmaster told us that he would be arriving a couple days later with a few flying ships to carry the Lunastra back to Vale. He also sent a map to Summer's 'not-a-scroll', which marked a small oasis away from human presence where we could rest and get some supplies that he had ordered to be delivered.

With that, I left with Summer on my back. She used the ropes again in order to hold herself, though she said she would do something about it when we returned. I didn't know what she meant, but I utterly _refuse_ to be saddled.

I'm not an Aptonoth, Ancients damn it!

We were silent for most of the journey, but it was comfortable and I could feel the happiness coming from Summer. She really liked flying on my back. At this point, I didn't mind her being there and I had come to like the company while flying.

When we reached the territory of the kingdom, I was surprised to see how big the desert was. I was half expecting a Mohran to jump from the sands. _'It's impressive.'_

"Yeah. The city used to be a giant oasis with resources and Dust." Summer explained from my back. "But that was long ago. Humanity drained all of its resources, and after the Great War, it was just a barren wasteland. Though Vacuo survives, it's a pretty… complicated place. The ones that can survive are welcomed here."

' _In my world, humans have a few settlements in the deserts, but they have to be vigilant all the time, lest a Mohran swallows the entire place.'_ I said.

"What is a Mohran? Another Elder?" I could feel the curiosity coming from our link, just as Ruby when we talked. They really are alike.

' _The Mohrans are enormous Elders. They are more than a kilometer long, and there are 2 kinds: Jhen Mohran, with two massive horns at the side of its head, and the Dah'ren Mohran, which has one horn between its eyes.'_

I could feel the excitement coming from her. "Whoa. That's amazing! And terrifying at the same time."

I nodded. _'There are very few of them, but they are usually very calm unless provoked. The problem for the settlements is that they won't turn course even if one is on the way. That's why towns in the desert are far more protected than others. If one appears, a hunter squad has to be ready to repel it.'_

I heard Summer hum and she remained silent for a while before speaking again. "Could you fight it if it appeared?"

That… was actually a good question. _'It's difficult to answer that. I have never fought one, only seen them from afar. I think hunters hold them down with cables and damage them with cannons. And while it would be very difficult for one of them to hit me, I don't think I could do too much damage unless I found a way to keep it from burying under the sand.'_ Summer listened intently and I smiled. I was starting to like telling stories. _'Of course, those are just suppositions. The ones that exist are old and wise, so I could most probably convince them to not attack anyone. Unlike other Elders, they don't hate humans, they just see them indifferently.'_

"But with that size, they could destroy a village just because it's in its way. I get it." Summer finished for me.

I hummed for a moment. _'Maybe I couldn't take one down, but Dalamadur most surely could.'_

"Dalamadur?" Asked Summer.

' _He was my closest friend back in my world. Thing of him as a 4km long snake with two arms and many spikes. And that is able to throw fireballs and laser beams.'_

She stared at me for a moment before laughing loudly. "I may be a bit gullible, but you don't actually…" I had turned my head to her, making her notice that I wasn't laughing. "You… you are kidding, right?"

I shook my head and I could see her open her eyes and mouth as much as she could. And I _did_ laugh at that. _'I'm not lying, Summer. When my siblings and I found him, we almost bolted out from there that same instant. Luckily for us, he was actually rather friendly and calm. I have been talking to him ever since that day. We both enjoy having someone to talk to, and he has helped me a lot during the years.'_

"Well, at least he is friendly. That's a relief, but still…" Said Summer, with the look she had before not completely gone. "Four kilometers!? Where does he even live!?"

' _Inside a mountain.'_ I answered calmly.

"Huh. That actually makes sense." She shook her head. "Well, as much as he is your friend, I rather not have a 4 kilometer long snake running around Remnant." I chuckled at that while she checked the map. "We're almost there."

A few minutes later, the oasis came to view and I landed on it. There were no Grimm or humans around, so we left the ropes there and I took the chance to drink and eat. I'll thank the headmaster when we come back for leaving a few crates with meat for me.

After we both recovered a bit, Summer moved under the shadow of a tree and I stepped beside her. The heat wasn't a great deal for me, but even I was feeling a little bit uncomfortable under such temperature. I never liked deserts.

"Okay! We are here," she pointed to a small dot on the map, "and the caravan was attacked around here." She pointed at another dot and then reduced the image, showing more of the desert. "And around both points there's sand, sand and more sand!" She said with fake happiness.

' _I don't like it. It's course and rough and irritating. And it gets everywhere.'_

"What?"

' _What?'_ We stared at each other for a moment before I shook my head. Weird.

She cleared her throat. "Well, in any case, we must find where that Lunastra is hiding. Got any ideas, Gore?"

' _As much as they like heat, Lunastras and Teostras like to have a covered place to sleep, in case it rains or they have to retreat from a fight. Is there any place in the surroundings that it's not just desert?'_ Summer looked through the device.

"Nothing. Except…" She tapped a few times and smiled. "There are some ruins east from here. It's the only landmark in kilometers than isn't buried under sand completely."

I nodded, smiling too. _'Then that's where she will be. If we are lucky, we might find her there, but we can always wait if we don't.'_

After informing the headmaster of our situation (I'm still impressed at this world's technology), we moved towards the ruins. It was a small walk and we were there in less than an hour. The ruins were mostly made from pillars of rock that had been clearly damaged by time and sand, though there were still a few buildings standing.

And, in one of them, my feelers caught the presence of our target.

She was sleeping inside the biggest building that remained, and even asleep, I could feel the heat around us rise the closer we moved. Looking towards Summer, I saw that she was sweating a lot, but didn't look that she was bothered by it.

Nonetheless, I had to make sure she was fine. _'Summer, are you doing alright?'_

Summer smiled and waved a hand. "Hot, but I've suffered worse. I'm ready."

I nodded and explained what I had in mind. _'She is sleeping inside that building over there. You will hide and I will attract her attention. If I can convince her to come with us, then we won't need to fight. But if I don't, I want you to be ready.'_

Summer nodded, a look of focus on her face. "Anything I need to know about her?"

' _Their kind is agile, but mainly focus on throwing fire and explosions.'_ I explained. _'If you keep your distance and don't underestimate her speed, you should be fine. If you go up close, don't attack by the front. Go behind or to the sides, but be careful with the tail.'_

Summer blinked a few times. "Wow. You know a lot about them."

I shrugged. _'I fought them before. In fact, it was a pair, and I still won. I'm just making sure you aren't harmed.'_

"Aww, thanks." She smiled. "But you don't need to worry. I'll be fine. We watch each others backs, right?"

I nodded and Summer pointed at a few ruined pillars. "I'll hide there and fire at her if we fight. If I come into melee, I'll stay away from you so you can hit without having to worry about me being in the way, alright?"

' _Simple but clever. I like it.'_ She moved to her position and I started walking towards the building. _'One last thing: if she becomes enraged, move away. She will heat the air around her enough to even harm your Aura.'_

She nodded and reached the pillars, hiding behind a fallen one. I turned towards the building and walked closer. Now, how do I wake her up? I could use my Aura and my strength to hit the ground, but the building didn't look very stable. I could roar, but that might come as me being aggressive.

In the end, I decided to just growl loudly, seeing if I could wake her up. It took me a few tries, enough for me to start pacing one side to the other, but she woke up soon enough. Were she any other Elder, I might have lured her into a false sense of security by making myself look smaller, but Lunastras were _extremely_ prideful, even for an Elder, so it would be better if I just showed that I had more power than her. I always liked bringing these kinds down a bit.

I saw her exit the building and yawn. I noticed that she had a scar on her chest, which meant that she had arrived here recently, later than me. She was lucky that whatever weapon the hunters used hadn't become stuck in her flesh.

She looked around, until she laid eyes on me. She was in front of me, a few meters away, but I could notice that what the headmaster had said was true: she was small, not even half my size, though she was close.

She raised her chin up and addressed me. "Oh? A Child of the Dark? What do you think you are doing in my territory?"

I could understand Dalamadur calling me child. Hell, he could probably call most Elders 'children', but this Lunastra in front of me couldn't do that. "I'm not a child. Stopped being one a long, _long_ time ago. And I'm here because I wanted to talk with you."

She was surprised by my last statement, but she scoffed and started walking around me. "Yes, you are a child. You haven't Ascended, so you haven't matured. And not even then will you be worth of my time. So tell me, why shouldn't rip your insides apart?"

Was… was she serious? Does she even notice that I'm almost double her height!? "You wouldn't be able even if you wanted. What are you? 20 human years old? The only child here is you." She growled but I wasn't finished. "And you won't try to kill me, because I have something that you don't: information."

"Oh, really?" She said with a smile, barring her teeth. "And what information do you think I want, _child_?"

She was trying to get under my skin, as humans say, but I didn't care. It would be her loss if this turned into a fight. "For starters, where you are. I also know what brought you here, and, just maybe, a way back to your _real_ turf."

I could see her glaring at me, and while she decided, I looked towards where Summer was. She was peeking over the pillar, out of sight from the Lunastra. "And I suppose you would want something in return?"

I nodded. "Yes. Information in exchange of information. I want to know about a certain Elder in Heaven's Mount. You tell me what I need to know and I tell you what happened to you."

My hopes raised when she seemed to consider it, but then she started laughing. "Very clever, Child of the Dark, but I won't fall into your trap. I know there is a human hiding behind those pillars and I doubt your senses failed to pick its scent."

Damn it, this wasn't good. "I don't know how, but I know that if you haven't already attacked that human, it means that you are working with it." That would have been a big stretch… if she wasn't right. "Betraying your own kind and working with humans? Pathetic!"

"Oh, but don't worry! I'm not without mercy." She was acting all high and mighty, and it was starting to get on my nerves. "I know who you are: the Dark Ruler of the Steppes. I had my doubts that an un-Ascended one could had such a reputation. Only to be a traitor. How disappointing."

We started circling each other. "And I also know of what Elder you want to know. It's that failure that didn't manage to Ascend, right? Don't worry, she's still alive." I didn't like that she called my sister a failure, but the news lifted a weight off my shoulders. I felt a little better at that.

Until she spoke again. "But after I'm done with you, I will find her and make her _suffer_. Not before I also kill that human friend of yours. I will make both of them agonize and scream. I will burn the life out of them until they are nothing but charred corpses and ashes! This is what happens to traitors that waste my time!"

…

" **No**." I answered, making her turn her head to the side.

"Oh? And what are you going to do to stop me?"

I didn't care that she labeled me as a traitor. I didn't care that she had called me a child.

But _**nobody**_ threatens the ones I care about and gets away without **consequences**!

* * *

 **/ Summer Rose P.O.V. /**

I had been watching the exchange between Gore and the other dragon. I couldn't understand what they were saying but I could hear Gore's thoughts as he spoke, and I managed to pick on a bit of the conversation.

I also noticed that, for some reason, Gore's underside had been growing purple more and more.

Suddenly, I noticed Gore growing concerned, as the two started circling each other. I had noticed the other dragon looking at where I was, so I assumed that she had seen me. I readied my weapons and prepared to jump to help Gore.

Only to be stopped by his voice in my head, though it sounded deeper and far angrier than usual. _'_ _ **Do not intervene, Summer. She is mine.**_ _'_

I noticed the two of them had stopped moving. Looking around, I realized that the ambient was… darker. Literally, it was as if the area around the three of us was covered in a faint shadow, despite the sun wasn't covered by a single cloud. _'But what about your sister?'_

From the link we shared, I could feel an immeasurable amount of anger coming from him. I had never seen him this angry, and it was _terrifying_ in every sense of the word. _'_ _ **I already know what I needed. She dies today.**_ _'_

His next roar wasn't like the ones I heard before. This one was pure, uncontained rage. Not even covering my ears worked. The next few seconds I was completely deaf, with my ears clutched and my eyes closed. When I opened them again, the skies had darkened, without any trace of the previous sunlight that had been over us this whole time. It was as if the faint shadow from before had become completely opaque and had covered the sun.

And when I looked at Gore, I couldn't help but let out a gasp. He had his two wingarms on the ground, his wings and his underside shining in purple. On his head, two curved horns had extended, with the tips purple and the rest black. The places where the horns had previously been also shined in a bright purple.

For a moment, I was overwhelmed by fear, but I managed to steel myself. I wanted to jump in the following fight, to help Gore or to calm him down, but me being on the way wouldn't help with his actual state. I needed to wait for the right moment if I wanted to calm Gore.

The next minutes, I watched as the fight turned into a massacre.

* * *

 **/ Gore P.O.V. /**

I hadn't ben this angry in a while. In fact, I think that the last time I became Frenzied with rage was when I went to get revenge on the hunter that had killed my brother. My senses were heightened, I could feel every grain of sand around us, every small imperfection in the ruins around us, every movement the Lunastra did, even the smallest of twitches.

And it wasn't hard to notice the confusion and fear in her features as she looked around. She stepped back when I took a step forwards.

She was afraid. **Good**.

Nevertheless, she positioned herself to fight me. Her pride outweighed the fear she felt. For now. **I was planning on seeing how long that would last**.

"Y-you think that you scare me!?" She flared her powers, and I could feel the heat around us rise, but I didn't care. **A rise in temperature wouldn't save her**. "I'm the Queen of Fire! Ruler of the volcano! And I will not be threatened by-!"

Before she could continue, I formed a fist with my wingarm and punched her face, making her stumble backwards. **"Do you ever shut up?"**

 **(A.N.: Play DOOM (2016) OST — BFG Division (Remix) (1:00))**

I leaped closer and she dodged to the side, but I had two extra hands, and I used one of them to backhand her as she moved. Her eyes filled with anger and she jumped at me after roaring. **Idiot. I was still twice her size.**

I stopped her with both my claws and wingarms, throwing her to the side. She rolled and glared at me, before unleashing a column of fire. I moved my wing in front as a shield and focused my Aura on it. Normally, the fire would have left a nasty scar after a lot of pain, but with Aura, it was reduced to almost nothing.

She finished her attack, expecting me to have lost my wing in the process. To her shock, I wiped the smoke away and charged at her. Tackling her before she could react, I managed to push her to what was left of a small house, making the old building crumble over her in a pained roar. She didn't took long to come out of the ruins. **I would have dragged her out myself either way.**

The next second, she flew up in the air and started spraying fire where I was standing. I blocked it again and jumped right at her. We crashed and I clawed at her, both on her face and on her side. She couldn't withstand the added weight and I plummeted her to the ground, making sand and dust form a cloud around us.

She was laying on her side, having taken the most damage from the two on the fall. Before she could recover, I grabbed a fistful of sand and threw it at her eyes, making her roar in pain while trying to force it out of her eyes. **"You need your eyes to see, I don't."**

With that, I grabbed her with both of my wingarms and roared as I hoisted her up. With a little help of my Aura, I threw her towards a couple of still standing columns. She crushed onto them, rolling a few of times. She stood up, this time slower and with clear sings of pain, but also a lot of anger. **It wouldn't save her. Nothing would.**

She roared and the temperature around us rose once again, the air around my opponent combusting into flames. She was enraged, and I couldn't help but smile. **About time. This was starting to get boring.**

She charged at me, but to my surprise, she jumped above me and grabbed my back. My Aura blocked the following attacks, but it still hurt. I kept trying to throw her off, when I noticed that she had stopped attacking and was simply grabbing onto me. Then I heard it.

The sound that their charged explosion made while they prepared to launch it.

I intensified my efforts but she held tight. Just when she was about to release the explosion, my feelers caught a sword flying straight to the Lunastra. The sword hit its mark, stabbing itself on the Lunastra's left front leg. She let out a small roar of pain, releasing her hold of me, and I took the chance to throw her off. Another thing I had to thank Summer for.

She still managed to release her attack, but I had been able to put some distance between us. I was staggered by the explosion, and I felt my Aura almost give up with it, though I withstood the pain.

I walked towards the other Elder, and before she could react, I grabbed her crests and brought her face close to mine, right before concentrating my virus on my mouth and detonating it right in front of her. She reeled back as I let her go, but her left leg couldn't hold her weight due to the sword stuck on it, making her fall.

I moved closer and grabbed her by the tail. I heard her whimper before I used her as a flail with my right wingarm. First, I swung her to the left, making her collide with whatever still stood. I then swung to the other side, throwing her at the building she had been sleeping at. Most of it crumbled over her.

My body ached from the fire and the hits I had taken, but I didn't care. She was clearly in much worse condition, **and I wasn't finished!** As I walked closer, I heard her groans and the movement the rocks made as she tried to get up.

Before she could, I grabbed her by the tail again, this time dragging her closer to me. I held her with one of my front legs and dug my claws in her side. She roared but I prevented her from moving by putting my weight on her. I walked closer to her head, making sure she couldn't escape, and grabbed one of her crests, pulling her head closer to mine and forcing her to look at me.

One of her eyes was swollen and she was barely keeping herself conscious, but it didn't matter. **I only needed her alive for a while longer. "You threaten my family."** I brought her head to the ground, cracking the stone that made the floor a little bit. I pulled her back up. **"You threaten my friends."** Another hit before continuing. **"Did you really think there wouldn't be any consequences!?"**

I growled at her. **"You are no queen. You are not even in the same world that you were born in!"** Her one good eye widen slightly. **"We are both trapped in here. We could have gotten along. We could have found a way to return together. Hell, you didn't even need to like me, just to stay away from humans and cooperate!"**

I moved closer, my horns almost scrapping her crests. **"But instead you decide to threaten the ones I care about! You act invincible, but I have dealt with much worse than you."** I separated us a bit and readied my other wingarm. **"It's a waste to teach a lesson to a** _ **corpse**_ **, but, as you said, I'm not without mercy: don't bite off more than you can chew."**

I brought my claws down.

Only to have a voice stop me. "Gore, don't!"

 **(End song)**

I looked down and saw Summer with her arms extended, between the Lunastra and me. Not that she was actually blocking my attack, but her intentions were clear. I didn't know why she wanted to protect this **waste of life** , but I would figure it out.

' _ **Step aside, Summer. She will not help us.'**_ I said.

But she didn't move. "But that doesn't give you the right to kill her!" She argued. "What has she said that has gotten so under your skin!?"

' _ **She threatened my sister!'**_ I shouted back. _**'She threatened you! And I'm sure she would have threatened Ruby if she knew of her! And I know Elders like her always try to follow up with their threats, even if it's just out of spite or to keep their word!'**_

At that, Summer looked at the beaten up Elder. She was barely hanging into consciousness and almost couldn't move the rest of her body. Summer looked for a few more seconds before turning back to me and shaking her head. "It still doesn't give you the right to kill her."

Her tone was calm and I remained silent. "If what you said is true, then I can understand that you are angry. Dust, I can understand that you are outright enraged! I would be too if someone threatened my girls." She shook her head again. "But you can go around killing people just because of some empty threats. Even if she were to try and accomplish them, we wouldn't let her. And I get that, after all that you've been through, all that you have lost, you wouldn't want to go through that again."

As she spoke, I felt my breathing relax and I realized I had been breathing heavily, expelling clouds of my Virus. Had I really lost my temper that much? "But you don't have the right to choose who lives and who dies. I get that sometimes is kill or be killed, Remnant can be like that. But I'm here to make it better. And I know you aren't like this."

While she spoke, I noticed something I hadn't seen during the fight. It was a faint trail of something black, like my Virus, between the Lunastra and me. I focused my Semblance on it and noticed that it was very similar than the links I had with Summer and Ruby, only this one felt full of hate, anger and spite. Looking at her soul, I felt it wasn't pulsing with mine, like the others, feeling more like my _own soul_ was forcing hers to be connected. No, more like… _chained_.

I shook my head and willed it to disappear, and it did after a few seconds. I didn't want **anything** to do with her. And through this process, Summer kept talking, and I paid attention. "You helped me when you didn't have to, became my friend, went out of your way to help a village in need and bonded with Ruby. You're a good dragon, Gore, but if you lose your temper like this, you can cause a lot of damage." She pointed at what remained of the ruins, which was mostly dust and broken rocks. "What if the next time you do this, there are innocents around?"

She… wasn't completely wrong. "She's not worth it, Gore. Let her live. Let Ozpin handle her. He'll make sure none of her threats come to pass. Please."

Part of me still wanted to end her, **right here, right now,** but looking around, I realized how carried away I had gotten because of a few words. The ruins were nothing more than dust at this point. But it was the look that Summer was giving me that made me realize what I had done. I knew she didn't care too much about the Lunastra, but she was kind hearted. The worst part was that I could feel the fear coming from her.

She was afraid of _me_ , of what I could do, not only to her, but to her family. I would never do that to Ruby… right? But if I was so easily manipulated by a few words about my loved ones, what could happen if I lost my temper around her family? I didn't want my first friend on this world to be scared of me, even less Ruby.

Looking back at Summer, I recognized where I had seen that look. It was very similar, if not the same, that the look the Silver Eyed girl in the village had all those years ago. I looked back at the Lunastra and made my decision.

I growled and smashed her head on the ground, knocking her out. Summer turned around, but I calmed her worries. _'Relax, I just knocked her out.'_ As I calmed down too, the clouds of my Virus began to disappear, the sun shining back on us and the purple color in my skin disappearing.

Summer looked around as I moved my wings back and retracted my feelers. _'I'm… sorry I scared you.'_ She looked back at me. _'You were right when you said that I didn't want to lose anybody else. I apologize for losing control. I guess her words did get to me.'_

Summer smiled, and I felt relieved that she wasn't scared any more. "Well, she wanted a reaction out of you." She laughed lightly. "I guess she got it. And don't worry, I don't blame you. She may not deserve to die, but she deserved the beating she got."

Before I could notice, Summer walked towards me and caressed the front of my head. I was still a bit uncomfortable with human contact, especially close to my feelers, but being around Ruby made me more open to it. "We'll work on controlling that temper. Though, I have to admit, that was _really_ cool. You literally blocked out the sun!"

I chuckled, but my mind was still on the fight. Why did I get so enraged? Other Elders had threatened me or my siblings many times, and I had never lost control like this. I had turned into my Frenzied state many times before, but not with this kind of… rage. Was it because she threatened Summer? If so why? The bond, maybe?

Ugh, so many questions. I needed to calm down and think on this later.

Summer retrieved the sword she had thrown. _'Thank you for that. That attack would have hurt._ A lot _.'_

She smiled and nodded. She then looked behind me, where what remained of the building the Lunastra was using laid. She frowned and walked towards it. I followed her, and soon, she was digging, as if trying to find something. I realized that she was doing so around what seemed to be some sort of handle. Growing tired after a couple of minutes, I pushed her away softly and did it myself.

Underneath all that ruble was the hunter, or what was left of him. His armor was unrecognizable and he was left as a charred corpse. The longsword that was sticking out, on the other hand, was in perfect state. She picked it up and unsheathed it: the blade was the same color than the one she got from me, and it felt the same.

Suddenly, a bright light emanated from the sword and I stepped back. It lasted an instant, but when I looked back, Summer was using the sword as a way to keep herself up. _'Summer! Are you alright!?'_

She nodded and stood up. "I don't know what happened, but it drained a lot of my Aura. I'll be fine in a while, just need to rest." I nodded and helped her walk closer to the Lunastra, in order to _keep an eye_ on her. Heh.

She sat down beside me and continued petting my head. You know, I may end up liking this. "By the way, what were those… horns that came out of your head? Are they some sort of defense mechanism?"

I shook my head. _'No, those are my feelers. They are basically my eyes, allowing me to feel my surroundings through my hairs and scales.'_ While I spoke, I saw her using her 'not-a-scroll', probably to let that headmaster know we were done.

"Ooooh. Can I see them?"

' _Sure, but be careful. They are very sensible, and damaging them basically leaves me blind.'_ While my kind could live with just one, getting one broken or damaged causes a lot of pain and reduces our ability to sense the world around us.

She nodded and I extended my feelers. She wasn't completely wrong when she said that it was a method of defense. Extending them amplified our senses and gave us an edge on fights, at the risk of losing them if an attack was strong enough to break them. Not that the feelers were extremely fragile, but they weren't made to take a hit either. And they are one of the few parts on our body that doesn't regenerate, unless we Ascend.

Summer looked them over and moved her hand close to one of them. "Does it feel weird if I touch them? Wouldn't it be like, I dunno, petting your eyes?"

I shrugged. _'It doesn't work in the same way, and as long as you do not harm them, I don't care.'_

Summer smiled and proceeded to pet one of them. It wasn't too different from when she or Ruby decided to pet me, but I definitely felt it more. Her hands were soft and warm, and I couldn't help but feel somewhat… humiliated. I wasn't some household animal that could be pet when their owner wanted! I was a proud Elder, Ancients damn it, and I needed to keep some-!

My thoughts were interrupted as Summer moved her hand again.

 _*purr*_

…

Oh, no…

"Did you just… purr?" Asked Summer, as she moved her hand away.

I immediately retracted my horns and looked away. _'You heard_ nothing _!'_

My reaction was followed by loud laughter from her part. "O-oh my Dust, y-you just purred!" she kept laughing and I buried my head under my claws. This is so embarrassing! And no doubt Summer would end up teasing me for this for a while. Oh Ancients…

Is it too late to stab myself with that sword again? _Repeatedly_?

* * *

 **/ Leonardo Lionheart P.O.V. /**

I sighed as I brought my hands to my face. I looked back up to see the people in my office: Hector Nikos, one of the most renowned huntsmen in Mistral, alongside his wife and fellow huntress Hydna Nikos. Their daughter, Pyrrha Nikos, was also in my office, seated on the side reading a book.

Though they weren't the ones giving me a headache right now. The last person in my office was responsible for that. She had her right arm was on a sling and she entered limping lightly. The girl had short black hair, reaching just to her neck. Her face sported a few cuts and one older than the rest horizontally across her nose. She was young, maybe in her late twenties. What attracted my attention, though, were the pair of _Silver Eyes_ that stared right at me.

Well, that, and the nonsense she talked.

I looked at the married couple. "Had she hit her head when you found her?"

Hector was the first to answer. "We haven't taken her to a hospital yet, but she seemed fine when she woke up. Confused and lost, but fine."

I raised an eyebrow and looked at the girl. She rubbed the back of her head. "I-I'm just as confused as you," she said, "b-but I swear that I'm telling the truth!"

I rubbed my eyes. Great, just what I needed. The Council is waiting for results with the case of the kidnappings, the school year is about to start and now this! I sighed again. "So, you say you… come from _another_ world, which has _no Grimm, no Auras and no Semblances_ , but it's filled with dragons and… monsters, you said?" The girl nodded sheepishly. I looked at the Nikos again. "Are you sure she isn't amnesiac and that was just a very lucid dream?"

"I know i-it sounds strange, but please, hear me out!" I knew I shouldn't, but I was willing to give her a chance, so I nodded. "Listen, when I woke up a couple of days ago, I was in their care." She gestured towards the couple and their kid. "When I asked where I was, they showed me a map and I didn't know any of the locations in it. So I asked them for a bigger map and they brought me one." She pulled out a worldwide map of Remnant. "When they told me that this was theirs – your – whole world, I just couldn't believe it, like you now."

I inched closer in my seat. "Maybe you don't remember what Remnant looks like?"

She shook her head quickly. "No. I had never seen a map like this, but the creatures you call Grimm and those powers the people of this world have proved my point." I still didn't believe her, but she didn't seem to care as she continued talking. "But we are wasting time here. You must warn the city and prepare evacuation just in case! I didn't came alone here and if I survived, I'm sure that _monster_ did too!"

There she goes again, talking about some monster she brought with her. At the mention of that, the small girl in the room raised her head and looked at the woman. I gave a tired look at the woman. "This is the third time you mentioned this 'monster'. Do I have to remind you, miss…?"

"Sarah, sir. Sarah Ynyr."

I nodded, finally discovering the name of this headache factory. "Well then, Miss Ynyr, we already have our own problems to worry about. We can't risk mass panic and chaos just because of some imaginary monster." I said. "Do you even have a description of that creature? Maybe you just saw a strange Grimm."

She slammed her good hand on the table and rose from her seat. "It's not imaginary! The thing that killed my parents is as real as you or me! And I do have a description."

I crossed my arms. "Well then, let's hear it." If by explaining it we get this over with, so be it.

Her face showed no signs of joking, only full on seriousness. "We call it Gore Magala. It's an Elder Dragon that has the ability to mutate and change other monsters with his Virus, making them violent and erratic. If the Virus inside of them is left to grow, it will kill the monster and hatch a Gore offspring. It can also affect humans, although in a different way."

Well, one thing's for sure, she does have a lot of imagination. "And that's only made worse by its aspect: completely covered in black scales and hairs, with 4 legs and two claws on its wings. The Virus it controls produces a black smoke around the dragon. It lacks eyes but it can sense its surroundings by-"

Wait. "Did you say black without eyes?" The girl nodded. It couldn't be… unless. "Okay. Let's say I believe you. You said you appeared in this world inside a cave." I opened a map of Mistral. "Can you tell me where?"

It was at this moment that Hector stepped up. "Our daughter found her around here." He amplified the image and pointed close to the town they had been staying. "When you fell down the cave, did you take any specific direction?"

She look angrily at him. "I told you, I didn't fall, the Magala threw me off!" She breathed for a moment before nodding. "After recovering, I walked south until I reached the ruins of a village, avoiding the Grimm on my way. From there, I followed a dirt road for a few days that lead me to the spot where your daughter found me."

I stayed silent for a few moments. A village in ruins, the dragon fitting the description Qrow gave us, and that definitely wasn't a Grimm. Was she telling the truth after all? If she was, and what she said about this monster's abilities is right, then this just got a lot worse. "She… may be telling the truth, Hector."

At that, all heads turned to me. "Leo, is age finally catching up to you? How can anything so… farfetched be true!? Have you gone mad!?"

"No!" This time, it was me who slammed my hands on the table. "The reason I say that she may be telling the truth is that the 'dragon' she has described matches with the description that one of Ozpin's huntsmen gave us about the being that kidnapped his partner. And it's clear that they are referring to the same being: black scales, with a black mist around it and lacking eyes. And he left it clear that it wasn't a Grimm, seeing as how it crushed a small army itself before taking his partner away."

The man stepped backwards while the rest of his family looked at me with disbelief. Sarah, on the other hand, looked more interested. "So, it has begun killing already."

At that, I closed my eyes and sat back. "Not exactly." She looked at me, confused. "The woman it took away is safe back with her family. This 'Gore Magala', or however you call it, didn't actually harm her. After that woman took a sword out of his chest, the dragon left a couple days later. She was able to leave the cave without resistance." I leaned back in my chair and rubbed my beard. "In fact, she says that the dragon actually took care of her, bringing food and even let her keep the sword."

Now, she looked utterly stunned. This just keeps getting weirder, and for once, I'm not the only one suffering through it. "That- but… it can't be…"

This was getting out of hand. I still didn't know anything about how Summer was or if Ozpin had discovered something. _'Sorry, old friend, but this is a problem you will be solving, not me.'_ I already had enough with the kidnappings. I turned to the Nikos family. "Thank you for bringing her to me, you can rest assured that I will take good care of this mess. Of course, everything that has been said here doesn't go out of this room. We don't want to cause mass panic."

After a few seconds, both parents nodded. "It was nice meeting you, professor Lionheart." Said the child.

I smiled. "You have great potential, miss Nikos. I would love to have you as one of my students in the future."

When they left, I turned to Sarah as she smiled and waved at the family. "As for you," she turned to me, "I'm going to send you to Vale. There you will talk with a friend of mine who is far more adept at dealing with… strange situations. His name is Ozpin. He also knows personally the woman that the dragon kidnapped. Maybe she has more information, or maybe, he can find a way to get you home."

She smiled and bowed slightly. "Thank you. For this and for believing in me." She then frowned. "I still don't know why that thing let her go. Are you sure this city will be safe if the dragon is still out there?"

I chuckled lightly. "We are no pushovers here in Mistral. Rest assured that, if that monster threaten us, we will deal with it. For now," I tapped a few buttons in my scroll, "I have assigned you a room for the night while I find you an airship that can take you to Vale. I will also contact someone to accompany you on the way there."

She smiled and bowed again. Before leaving my office, she turned to me. "How will I find this Ozpin?"

I smiled at her. "He is a headmaster, just as I, in Beacon Academy. It's the biggest building in Vale, you won't miss it, I assure you."

With that she left and closed the door. I sat back on my chair and groaned. Why couldn't things be simple? First being a headmaster, then Salem and now this!? Other worlds, dragons, mysteries… Maybe Hector was right, maybe I'm getting old.

Maybe this is why Ozpin hired Glynda? That wizard had the right idea for sure.

* * *

 **A.N.: Gore crushes a not very friendly Lunastra and Leonardo is too old for this shit, thus sticking it to Ozpin. If there is something strange to solve, call your local wizard and make him either solve it or invite the problem to his academy, like 80% of RWBY OCs.**

 **Nothing wrong with it, I just find it funny and it's something that I actually feel Ozpin would do.**

 **Now, I would have gotten the Lunastra theme for the fight, but seeing as how she is the one taking a beating from an** _ **extremely pissed**_ **Gorey, I found this one more fitting.**

 **Link: watch?v=LGNc5azoizI**

 **Reviews!**

 **UndeadLord22: newcomer? Yes! Friendly? Not so much.**

 **ZobbleStone: you're welcome! If I find something that fits, I use it, and that song came to mind almost instantly.**

 **HBgamer111: well, good hunting then!**

 **Deathangles14: thank you for keeping the counter. And yes, he got utterly destroyed. As for your question, I would have my money on Qrow: he's faster, has Aura, his Semblance can help him and he is trained to take on human opponents, unlike MH hunters.**

 **Knightwolf1875: no Ice Dust was needed, just a very pissed of Elder Dragon! And you will see what happens to that Lunastra in the future. And the Nargacuga is a good idea. I'm not accepting OCs for this story, but I might make an exception if I see it fits and you want to send it to me. Whether I accept OCs or not, if I use the idea, I will credit you.**

 **proiu: here is the fight! And thank you!**

 **Orsntein the Dragon Slayer: maybe not alone, but having huntsmen and huntresses on his side may tip the scales on his favor.**

 **Rabid Armenian: can I say that every time I think of that name I just picture Gorey in tie and suit? And I think that if a Nergigante appears, we can all agree that calling him Spiky Boi is the right choice.**

 **Ill: that roar is a pain in the ass for everyone around him, that I can assure you.  
As for his Semblance, that is a part that I still have to figure out. If it becomes too chaotic to write, maybe, but it would just be taking the easy way out in my opinion as a writer.  
And it's more than telepathic communication, but yes, it works regardless of distance. Other Semblances can affect it, though.  
And, yes, if they are too far, it takes a decent amount of focus to pull it off, especially for Gorey.**

 **Neb: boi, if u don't stop giving me gud ideas, this story will never end! Of course, it'll be a while before Remnant has any notable amount of monsters, but I can picture some of them, either being a pain in the ass to the Grimm, or walking around like they own the place.**

 **Lord of Moons: thank you! It is hard, but I try my best.**

 **Also, while writing this I felt like instead of the fight I could just go with Gore saying "Omae wa mu, shindeiru." And the Lunastra would go "N-nani!?" and just make everything explode in Frenzy Virus.**

 **I hope you enjoyed!**

 **Have a great day!**


	11. Chapter 9: It's not what it seems

**A.N.: hello there! This chapter has some exposition, and is slower than the rest, but I wanted to get this done ASAP. This will also add some background on several things related to the Brother Gods, both worlds and the Elders. You'll see what I'm talking about in the chapter.**

 **Long A.N. at the end!**

 **Enjoy!**

* * *

 **Black Dragon, White Rose**

 **Chapter 9**

 **Not everything is what it seems**

 **/ ? P.O.V. /**

Ever since the fall of the Ancients, humanity and us have been at war. At first, it was in self-defense. We, Elders and Inferiors combined, greatly outnumbered them, and we held powers they could only dream of, and still do. But, as the first victories for humanity and their hunters came, they learnt to use our own power against us, by wearing out skins and scales, and creating new weapons from our bodies.

And so, they pushed us back. Enough to build their cities and towns, and prosper in them. But it wasn't only their new equipment that allowed them this feat. The Silver Eyed warriors, descendants from something even older than the Ancients, were their greatest weapons. Not only were they skilled in combat, but, if the situation was dire, they could banish their enemies from this world with the help of the Life Essence.

This mineral is the other proof that there was something before the Ancients, something powerful enough to create a mineral that can connect to the soul of someone with Silver Eyes, or in some cases, with one of us. It's power is astonishing.

And terrifying, in the wrong hands.

With time, though, Silver Eyed warriors became less and less until they disappeared a long time ago. Or so I thought, until recently. I haven't seen it, but I heard the news from those that pass trough the mountain: Elders disappearing, slowly, but steadily. No corpses, and whatever Elder the hunters were targeting just _vanishing_ from this world. This meant that the Silver Eyed warriors had reappeared, and that humanity had rediscovered how to use the Life Essence as a weapon again.

What they didn't understand, what they never understood, was that the Life Essence is so much more than a weapon. It's the soul of nature itself, something that all of us share, even humans. For the Silver Eyed humans, it allows them to send themselves and others away from this world, even Elders.

For us, though, it grants us the ability to… get closer to humanity, so to speak. It transforms our bodies, albeit only partially, to resemble those of humans. I never understood why it would give us such an ability: maybe, whoever or whatever created the Essence, wanted for all of us to coexist, maybe its intentions were others. Alas, even with my age and wisdom, I do not know.

But after the Silver Eyed humans disappeared, the eldest of our kind, myself included, agreed to _never_ pass down this knowledge to the future generations. The reasons were clear: the spite and hate that most of the Elders had gained towards humanity during our war was immense. If this information were to fall into their hands, they would cause chaos and pain to humans, disturbing the thin balance that was achieved after the humans stablished their cities.

Because what almost every human and Elder failed to understand is that one cannot exist without the other. We kept humanity in check, stopping any excess of greed while protecting the equilibrium of nature. Meanwhile, humanity made sure that none of us grew too powerful, as it could spell death for the rest of us, even making sure the most violent Inferiors didn't disturb the food chain for their own primal gain.

And so, the stalemate, for it cannot be called peace, between humans and Elders had come to an end with the return of the Silver Eyed warriors. What pained me the most was that their first target was one of the few true friends I have. The only one I could have revealed the secret of the Life Essence, given time. His sister remained, under my watch in the mountain, but there wasn't much I could do for her, except talk, whenever she showed some sings of sanity.

As of now, only a few Elders have vanished this way, though I've heard that, if the Silver Eyed hunter survives, they bring back the corpse with them to use it as they see fit. But these were all rumors, as many Elders tend to exaggerate the news they receive, especially when it comes to humans. I would have to make sure they were true myself, but I couldn't use the Essence right now, and moving from the mountain without transforming would be even worse. Making a disappearance act with my size would make the hunters suspicious if they came after me. I still didn't know why they hadn't attempted so.

Then a roar reached my ears. A roar that I knew too well.

Though, this time, it was filled with rage, not just pain. She was being attacked, and if it was what I feared, she might join her brother wherever he was. I still had hopes that he was alive, for he was nothing short of clever and resourceful. But if his sister was sent to the same place, she might not survive in her actual state, specially if she took a hunter with her.

But I was still doubtful. I hadn't been bothered by humans in several decades, and trying to help her now would only bring the attention of the Guild on me, and with the return of the humans with Silver Eyes it would mean that I would be torn away from this world to what ever place the warriors sent us.

However, I couldn't leave her to her own luck. It might just be an Inferior that though of stepping in her way, but the pure anger that her roar carried couldn't be caused by a feeble Inferior. No, it was definitely caused by hunters, and leaving her alone would be an insult to my friend, even if he never asked me to take care of her.

I could not take this decision lightly.

Another roar reached my ears, this one carrying a lot of pain.

…

Very well.

It had been a while since I saw some action, and my muscles were starting to feel clogged in here. I had been idle for far too long. If one side breaks the balance, it's the duty of the other to set it right. It was my duty to make sure that this stopped, one way or another, for the sake of all Elders and for our own world.

I am the Serpent King Dragon. The God under the Mountain and one of the seven remaining Keepers of the Secret. And it was time to restore the balance of this world.

I moved my body from its position.

And the mountain _trembled_.

* * *

 **/ Summer P.O.V. /**

After the, well, _massacre_ that Gore put that other dragon to, the bullheads didn't take long in arriving. I would have thought Ozpin would send a Corvette to carry the Luntr- Lunasr- Lunastra? Yeah, Lunastra! But I guess that the less people know about this for now, the better.

Gore had to hide in the oasis we had previously used so he wasn't spotted by the pilots. I had to wait for them, both to make sure the dragon didn't wake up and to help them tie her up so they could carry her. They asked me if I wanted a ride, but I told them that I already had one.

Oh, if only they knew. Heh heh.

Gore came after they left, when I told them through our link that the coast was clear. His Semblance sure is handy. Anyways, we followed the transports at a safe distance, using the clouds as cover and making ourselves basically a miniscule black dot behind them. I honestly could barely see them, as we were guiding ourselves through Gore's feelers.

I couldn't wait to reach home and tease him about that purr he let out before! I was going to have a field day with this! And I still had the image of Ruby and Yang sleeping on his head!

After a few hours of flight, the bullheads and the Lunastra reached a complex outside of Vale. I wouldn't have recognized it if I hadn't been there before. In team STQR's second year, we were sent to clean up an enormous complex that used to be owned by Merlot Industries before the fall of Mountain Glenn.

The place actually had a lot of history: it was created during the Great War as a R&D center in an attempt to obtain technological superiority over Atlas. It didn't work as planned, even if Vale and Vacuo ended up winning the war. The place was abandoned and later bought by Merlot Industries. They invested a lot on it, but after the tragedy on Mountain Glenn, the place was closed.

When we were sent to clean it up, the complex was _huge_! As in several stories underground huge! It took us almost two entire days of cleaning up Grimm non-stop, as we had to secure one building, then move to the next, clean, secure and rinse and repeat. It was full of labs, empty android racks and cages that could contain several Goliaths if they wanted! So I was glad to see that all of our effort wasn't wasted.

When we made sure that the dragoness was secured inside, Gore turned around and went towards Patch, where Ozpin was already waiting for us. When he told me that he had a place in where to hold the Lunastra, I was expecting him to meet us there. Not that I was complaining. After that heat filled trip, I just wanted a cool shower and to sit down with my family to watch a film. Maybe Gore wanted to join!

We reached Patch rather quickly, and when we went behind my house to land, Ruby and Yang were already waiting there, with Ozpin and Tai talking between them in a small table that we had outside. As we landed, my two girls ran at us while the Headmaster and Tai got up.

"Mom! You're back!" Shouted both of them. I untied the ropes and jumped down. I almost got tackled to the ground when the two reached me.

"Hello, girls!" I said as I hugged them back. "Have you been good?" I looked up at Ozpin and Tai, both with smiles as they approached. "Or have you been interrogating Ozpin?"

The Yang smiled sheepishly, but Ruby simply nodded. "We wanted to know everything about Beacon. Besides, he didn't mind!"

I looked at the professor, who nodded. "It's alright, Summer. I have no problems in answering their questions." He took a sip from his cup. "Though, I must say, they have quite a lot of energy."

I laughed lightly as both girls went to Gore and hugged his head. "I've been their mother for 5 years now, professor. You don't need to tell me that."

"True." Another sip. "In any case, I'm glad to see the two of you are back safe and sound. How did it go?"

"Weeeell." I turned to Gore, watching as my two girls climbed to his head, with Yang holding Zwei. "It was… interesting."

Gore moved closer and sat beside us. "How so? The reports that the pilots sent me say that the Lunastra seemed to be wounded. Badly, at that."

I looked at Gore. _'What? She deserved it.'_

I sighed. "Okay, let me explain." Ozpin and Tai looked at each other before the professor gestured for me to proceed. "Gore tried to talk to her, but she noticed I was there and, according to Gore, she threatened his sister and me." At that, I could see Tai's fist clench and my two girls gasp.

"What happened next!?" Asked an eager Ruby as she looked at me. It was like when I told them their bed time stories.

"Yeah! How did you beat the mean dragon!?" Yang had a grin at the prospect of a fight between dragons. And while the fight had been _amazing_ , it had also been terrifying.

I shrugged. "I didn't actually do much. She was trying to get under Gore's skin, and she managed to do so, but I don't think she was expecting to backfire so badly." I pointed with my thumb at Gore. "He took her down basically alone. I just helped once during the entire fight. Like, you should have seen him! He landed hit after hit, shrugging off her attacks and throwing her around, as if she was just a ragdoll!"

I could see the girls stare in awe at Gore and Tai widening his eyes. Even Ozpin had a raised eyebrow. The professor turned to Gore. "You did say that you could deal with her, but I never expected it to be an easy fight. By what Summer's telling us, though, it seems that the outcome was decided even before the actual fight begun."

Gore snorted and shrugged. _'I was bigger, older, more experienced, stronger and had an Aura. And she made me enter my Frenzied state right at the beginning, so you tell me.'_

I told Ozpin what Gore said and he turned to the dragon with an even more curious look. "'Frenzied state'?"

"Oh, yeah!" I answered. "His underside became purple and _somehow_ he managed to use the clouds of Virus to literally _block out the sun_! He even extended his… um… horns! Yeah, a couple of horns and used his wingarms to fight!" I almost spilled out the beans about his feelers. Thank Dust I managed to save it.

Looking around, I saw my girls grinning widely and looking at Gore, who I could have sworn that looked proud at my words. Tai had the same flabbergasted look as before and Ozpin was equally astonished, though I could see a glint of interest in his eyes. "That is quite the… feat. How do you manage something like that, Mr. Magala, if you don't mind me asking?"

We were all waiting for him to speak, and I was also curious about the details. I already knew about his Virus, but I didn't know it could do that. _'I'm sorry, but I don't know if I can trust this man,'_ he said to me, signaling to Ozpin, while I translated for the rest, _'with that kind of information. I will let you know, though, that during my Frenzied state, I gain a lot more control over my hairs and scales.'_

Ozpin nodded as he took this information. "I understand. However, I have been told of the effects that your Virus can have on Aura, and while I trust Summer's ability to chose her friends, I would also like to find a way to counter the effects it has, as a safety measure."

I had seen what that Virus did on Aura and, even if I knew that Gore wouldn't attack me directly, I wouldn't mind having some way to counter it. _'Don't you guys have Nullberries?'_

"Nul- what?" I asked. Gore shook his head.

' _Back in my world, the Virus wasn't lethal to humans. They could cure the effects with some sort of gas or stall it with the berries, but it would always end up disappearing after a while. I do not know why it's reacting differently. Maybe it's because of Aura, but I have no idea.'_

I explained what he had said to Ozpin. "Then you must understand why I find myself worried. If you would allow us, the scientists that work for me could try to engineer a cure with some samples that you could provide." He pushed his glasses up his nose. "Of course, nobody outside the project would know about your existence, not even the Council."

I raised an eyebrow but Tai beat me to it. "Whoa, whoa, whoa. I can understand bending the rules a bit inside Beacon, but, can you really hide a project _that_ big from the council?"

Ozpin, the sly fox, smiled. "I already am. The facility where I have taken the Lunastra is officially none existent in the records. At least, not anymore. And while the incident with the caravan is already out, it wasn't hard covering it as a new and exotic kind of Grimm."

I shook my head. Ozpin always had a knack for keeping secrets. "Being the headmaster of Beacon has its advantages." He added. "But, back with the issue at hand. The idea for this project is to develop a cure in case someone ends up infected. Any other experiments or projects would be only with your consent."

Gore and I looked at each other, and I could tell that he was still doubtful. With his previous encounters with humanity, I honestly couldn't blame him. "Can we have a moment to discuss this?"

Ozpin nodded and both my girls and Zwei were set back on the ground. "Fine, but you better tell us all the details of the fight later!" I giggled and Gore nodded at Ruby.

We moved a bit away from them, even if we ended up talking through the link. _'What do you think?'_ I asked.

' _I don't know, Summer. While I get why he wants to do it, I don't trust him fully. Even less some scientists I do not know.'_ He said with a worried tone. _'Even if I call it Virus, its far more than just that. It's a part of every Magala in my world, its our way to have offspring and keep my kind alive.'_

He shook his head. _'While I'm not against them finding a cure, they might find a way to use it against me, maybe even killing me or making it impossible for me to have children. And if that happens and it gets to my world, it may be the end of my kind.'_

' _Okay, okay, I get it.'_ I said. He was really worried about this, and he had reason to. _'However, those are a lot of 'ifs'. Whatever happens, I'll stand by your side. Besides, I've known Ozpin for a long time. He is a good man, and I'm sure that as long as you keep up on helping us, he will not try anything against you.'_

Gore seemed to think about it for a minute before nodding. _'I think I have an idea.'_

We both turned around and addressed Ozpin. _'Tell him I will agree, as long as the cure he plans on creating only reaches the hands of those I choose.'_

I smiled and told Ozpin. The headmaster nodded. "I can see that this matter is of extreme importance to you." Gore nodded and the professor sipped from- wait, what!? It was empty the last time and we didn't talk that long! When did he get a refill!? "Then I can agree to that term, seeing as how we both know who is one of those people." He smiled at me and I nodded.

Gore trusted me with this and I wouldn't disappoint him. "Now, with that matter solved, I would like you to accompany me to Research Base Vanguard. There, we can get the samples and check on our… guest." We both nodded and Ozpin started walking away

Research Base Vanguard, eh? Not bad, Oz, not bad. "Oh! I almost forgot." He turned around. "I will come here later with someone that I think you two should meet. Although one of you already seems to have met her already."

Ozpin left and Gore and I looked at each other, not knowing who he was talking about. I shrugged and went inside my house, intent on having a shower before heading to the base. I'm sure that, whoever it is, wouldn't be a problem.

* * *

 **/ Lunastra P.O.V. /**

I groaned and opened my eyes slowly. My head felt as if one of those gigantic sand Elders had been drilling into it. I recovered the feeling over my body slowly, first with my head and neck, then further down. After a minute, I could feel my entire body again.

And everything hurt.

As I recovered my sense, I tried remembering what had happened. I had been in my new territory when loud growls outside of where I slept woke me up. There was this Child of the Dark and the human trying to hide. Then we talked, but I discovered his scheme, his _treason_. I told him what would happen to his loved ones for the betrayal. We fought and I…

I lost.

How!? I have never lost a fight since I was born! Not against my siblings when we were nothing more than children, not even against hunters! So how did I fail against a weakling that relies on _humans_!? I was the strongest of my family, the ruler of the volcano, but I was bested by an eyeless abomination and his human pet!?

How humiliating!

And to add insult to injury, that same human _protected me_! I didn't need her help! That whelp wouldn't have killed me! He didn't have the guts to do it! He was too weak to even dream of it! He wouldn't have killed me…

I shook my head mentally. He was just lucky! The next time we faced one another, I would crush him! Humiliate him as he did to me!

But that could wait. I needed to know where I was. I was inside some sort of human building, with white, square tiles on the floor and the wall in front of me. I grumbled and willed my body to move. It hurt even worse, but I wasn't going to lay on the floor and die! I managed to stand after a lot of effort, my legs recovering their strength slowly.

Already on my feet, I looked at myself. I had several wounds on my skin, and many of my bones felt broken. But that wasn't what caught my attention. No, it was that one of my wings, which I could feel was clearly broken, was covered in something, as if to keep it from moving. In fact, other wounds in my body also seemed to have been closed by some sort of thread.

What was the meaning of this!? Had those human pests done something to my body!? Rargh! Meddling scum! I would kill each one of them, alongside with that treacherous bastard! They would know why my flames where feared by everyone! I needed to get out of here first, though.

As I looked around I heard a voice behind me. "It seems she has finally awoken."

I turned around to find to humans standing outside of were I was trapped, behind a crystal. One of them I recognized as the human pet that was with that Dark One, with a white cape and more of those 'clothes' humans wore. Beside her was a man with white hair, glasses and a cane, in a green outfit. I couldn't see anything behind them, the place they were in covered completely in darkness except for where they stood.

Strangely enough, I couldn't smell any of the two, even if they were almost in front of me, but it didn't matter. The man had both of his hands on the cane, which clearly showed he was weak and old. The woman had her arms crossed and was glaring at me, but I didn't care. I readied my breath and released my flames on them!

However, there wee no screams, only the sound of my flames. I stopped and looked at them, only to find them unharmed, the crystal between us withstanding my attack. How!? I was starting to lose my patience with these pitiful creatures!

The man turned his head behind him, saying something I couldn't hear to someone I couldn't see, before moving forwards slightly, not faced by my attack at all, and pressing a button on a strange machine in front of him. "I've been told you can understand us, so this makes this next part much easier."

"I am professor Ozpin, headmaster of Beacon academy, and your jailer." His voice was calm, as if he didn't care that I could burn him to ashes. "But you most probably don't care about this. Nevertheless, I feel that you should know the situation you are in."

I growled at him. He would be one of the first to die for trapping me here! "You are in a facility that has been recently repurposed to contain creatures like you. You won't be able to leave this place unless we allow you, and right now, you have proven that your intentions are hostile against humanity and the Faunus, so you will remain here until we see fit."

Ha! They wouldn't be able to contain me! "You can try all you want, human! I'll free myself and reap you to shreds!"

With some of my strength back, I began to charge at the glass. It wouldn't hold against my strength and I would take the chance to kill these two and get away from here! Instead of running, both humans reached for something and plugged it in their ears. What where they-?

A figure stepped from outside the shadows and roared, making me stop in my tracks. It was _him_. He was standing behind the two others, as they remained unfazed by the roar, and I remained still a few meters away from the crystal. He was growling at me, and I looked at my claw on the ground.

I was trembling.

What!? That- No, that couldn't be! I wasn't afraid! I feared no one! Even less this-this pathetic excuse of life! No matter if I was wounded, I could take him! I could take them all at once and win! They were nothing compared to me! They were-!

He took a step forward and I took one backwards.

N-no! I couldn't be afraid! I-I wasn't! My thoughts were interrupted as a sound came from those machines that somehow had managed to get the voice of that human and the roar from the Dark One into my room. It didn't come from any of the two humans, and it somehow managed to make me feel _afraid_.

He, the Child of the Dark, the traitor, was _laughing_. He was laughing at me! How dare he!? I wanted to roar , to make him shut up and to smash his face on the floor! But I could only look as he kept laughing and the two humans took whatever they had put in their ears out.

He stopped laughing and the man spoke again. "Let me make myself clear." Somehow, even if he was nothing more than a human, I felt his stern tone carry a lot of power. "You are trapped in this world, in _our_ world, with no way out, and unlike Mr. Magala, you have chosen to stand _against_ us, in our own territory. Not the wisest tactical decision, if you allow me. As I hope you understand, we can not allow a being with those intentions to roam free around Remnant, so you will remain here, under our care. We are not monsters, we won't starve you to death."

At that, the Dark One scoffed and the woman turned to him. "It is not a 'waste of good meat', Gore. Now let Ozpin finish." What!? But he hadn't said anything! How-!?

"The only way that you are going to be able to exit this facility is by showing to us that you are willing to cooperate and help us if more of your world appear here." He said. "In exchange, we will help you and Mr. Magala find a way back to your own world."

Me, working with humans? Ha! As if! I charged another breath and released it, failing again to hit them but making my point clear. The man shook his head. "I see. Such a shame. You all are very interesting creatures. I would have hoped for us to work together. Very well."

He straightened up and pressed another button. This time, some of the tiles on the ceiling opened up and a white gas emanated from them. "I recommend you do not resist." The man added. "This gas is capable of putting a herd of Goliaths to sleep. The problem is that it's pretty much useless in open spaces. Then again, we already have that matter solved with you."

As he spoke, I felt myself lose strength, wobbling more and more, while the voice of that wretched man became more like a whisper. Eventually, I lost balance and tripped, falling to the side and watching, as the two humans and the traitor talked between themselves. My eyelids became heavier and heavier and I could feel my grip on consciousness fade.

At the last moment, I saw the humans leave and the Dark One approach the glass, and give me one final cruel smile before everything faded into black.

* * *

 **/ Gore P.O.V. /**

The buildings where we caged the Lunastra were gigantic. The place was impressive. I could walk around without trouble and saw a lot of these 'laboratories' that the headmaster talked about. There were also enough cells to practically hold an army of Elders, excluding the bigger ones like a Mohran. Seeing as how they were expecting more of us to come here, I couldn't blame them.

As for the people there, they were clearly scared of me, but none of them acted violently. In fact, the leader of the scientists, Doctor… Gaster, was it? Yeah, the doctor calmed the others down as he examined me. He looked really excited, darting around and using his Semblance, which seemed to be floating bone hands (how weird can this Semblances get!?), to get a good look at me. While the other scientists were very formal and mostly shy, he always seemed to be in a good mood, blabbering about things I could barely understand with a smile and shouting "For SCIENCE!" as he left.

I would call him weird, but I'm starting to get used to this world's… rarities.

I still wasn't fond of the idea of more humans knowing about my presence here, but the professor assured me that I didn't have anything to worry about. I still didn't trust him, but he was pretty reasonable and logical. He reminded me a bit of Dalamadur.

The headmaster also wanted Summer to leave here one of the weapons of the hunters to study it, but there was no way in this world, or in my own, that I would allow humans that I didn't trust to have a weapon that can cut me in half as if I was a leaf. Summer and I also agreed to not tell them about the crystals in the cave I woke up in, keeping it as our little secret.

If there was anyone in any of our worlds that I could trust with that knowledge, it was her.

After that, we had a small 'talk' with the Lunastra. She still thought that she was the toughest and greatest around. I can say with certainty that I enjoyed watching her **tremble**. Did she deserve it in my opinion? Yup. Was I a bit too cruel? Probably. Was Summer angry at me for a while afterwards? Definitely.

Was it worth it? Absolutely, even if I ended up promising Summer to behave around the Elder from now on.

Well, at least they now know that those earplugs work. You're welcome.

We returned to Summer's home, followed by the machine that carried the headmaster. Imagine my surprise when I detected through my feelers that there were more people than usual at her house. Apart from Ruby and the rest of her family, there were other two in the backyard. One I noticed was the bird man, thanks to the sword at his hip, which seemed to be repaired. The other I didn't who it was: it was clearly a woman with short hair, but somehow she felt… familiar.

In any case, we arrived, with the machine dropping the professor in front of the house, and me heading to the back as always. I landed, my back to the house as Summer dropped down, when a voice reached my ears. "Quickly! Get to the closest town and warn them! Take your daughters with you, I'll buy you time!" What? Summer looked towards the house with a raised eyebrow and I turned around.

And I could barely hold myself from jumping with my claws at the new arrival.

It was clear that she had changed clothes, but I could clearly recognize her. Especially since she couldn't hide her Silver Eyes. The next few moments were in complete silence, going as slowly as if they were hours. She stared at me, weaponless and with one arm in a sling. I kept my head centered on her, using the link with Summer to see.

Silence reigned until Summer, who was looking at the two of us, spoke. "Um…"

The moment that sound exited her mouth, I extended my feelers and the hunter reached for the weapon on bird man's back, earning an angered shout from him. "Don't just stand there!" She shouted to the girls and their father. "Get them away from here!"

I growled loudly, already feeling my anger rise, until a cane struck at the weapon the hunter had, sending it flying away a meters, surprising me and earning a startled "eep!" from the huntress.

Be both turn to look at the headmaster, who simply lowers his cane and pushes his glasses up. How did he manage to strike quickly enough to even fool my feelers, I didn't know. "I do not recommend you do that, Miss Ynyr. You are in no condition to fight, and I doubt Miss Rose would allow you to hurt her friend."

The hunter was stunned for a few seconds at his words, until she shook her head and pointed at me angrily. "What are you talking about!? That thing needs to be put down _now_!"

The professor shook his head and Summer stepped in front of me with a worried look. "Gore, who is she? And why does she want to kill you?"

I growled and answered without taking my eyes off the hunter. _'Remember when I told you that I killed the hunter that brought me here?'_ She nodded. _'It seems I was wrong about her being dead.'_

"What do you-?" She looked at the woman, and realization hit her like the tail of a Duramboros. "Ohhhhh… So that's why you're so angry." While Summer's family looked with confusion at us, she patted my head on the side. "Okay, I get why you are like this, but you need to calm down. I don't want to have a fight in my house, especially with the girls in here."

I looked at her, and then back at Ruby and her sister. Their father was standing between the hunter and them, even if the girls were more curious than scared. But she was right. I couldn't risk her or her daughters getting hurt. In calmed myself, nodded and retracted my feelers., making her smile before we walked closer to them.

The hunter turned to us and her eyes went wide. "W-what!? H-how did you…?"

Summer smiled at her. "I just talked him down." She snorted. "He acts all though and mighty, but he is just a big, dragon-shaped fluff ball." Her daughters nodded and I looked away. I was a walking natural disaster! A being worth of respect! Not some huggable house pet!

Although it was rather nice when she or Ruby petted- _'No! Gore, focus! Right now, you are angry! You are an angry fluff ball!'_

The sudden laughter from both Summer and Ruby made me realize that I had said that through our links. I grumbled and looked down.

Ancients damn it.

Though, to my small delight, the hunter's face of utter confusion made a smile appear on my face. "What are you laughing about!? That monster is not to be taken lightly! I-!"

The hand of the headmaster gripped her shoulder. "I think it would be best if you sat down and hear what we have to say."

Instead of listening, she swatted his hand away. "No! How can all of you be so calm with that thing so close to you!? It's a monster, a murderer, a creature of destruction!"

Oh, please! Like you hunters are any better. A small feeling of happiness reached me, though, when Summer walked up to the hunter, who was a bit taller than her, and glared at her. " _He_ is my friend. He has saved my life and helped me return home to my family. He has even helped one of my daughters. As far as I'm concerned, he is better than many humans and Faunus that I have met." She then reached for the collar of her shirt and pulled her right in front of her face, startling the hunter with her strength. "So if you think that you can come to my home and threaten the ones I care about, you will find out that I can be quite the pain in the neck."

The headmaster stepped closer and separated them, Summer having left the hunter sweating and with a look of fear. "Lets all calm down. We wouldn't want to scare our third guest from another world now, would be?"

Summer hummed but signaled that she would kept her eyes on the hunter while still glaring. Bird man patted the hunter's shoulder with an understanding look and moved to pick up his weapon. "Good. Now that we all have calmed down, we can introduce ourselves." He extended a hand in front of the hunter. "I am professor Ozpin, Headmaster of Beacon Academy. It's a pleasure to meet you , Miss Ynyr."

The hunter was still taking everything in, glancing between the professor's hand, Summer and me. I huffed and moved closer to the girls, waving at them when they smiled and greeted me. I laid down, looking at the hunter as Summer hugged her family and bird man.

Finally, she snapped out of her stupor and shook the headmaster's hand, albeit with confusion. "Um, a-a pleasure. I'm Sarah Ynyr, but you already knew that, it seems." She was keeping me in her field of view as she spoke, and I honestly couldn't care less. "I suppose Mr. Lionheart already told you about me."

The man nodded. "Of course. And I told him about our common…" he looked at me for a moment, "acquaintance. But enough of that. I assume that you must be very tired from your journey from Mistral, and I guess the actual situation is just confusing you. Please, take a seat and allow us to explain."

She nodded and walked to the table where the rest had already settled. Summer was still giving her a wary look, her husband almost the same. Meanwhile, bird man had taken a few extra chairs out and was talking with Ruby's sister. Ruby herself felt the tension in the ambient and looked like she wanted to be anywhere else but there. Well, that just wouldn't do. _'Ruby, why don't you go for your drawing book and sit with me? I want to see what ideas you have come up with.'_

That instantly made her smile and nod at me. She ran off into the house, after whispering into her mother's ear what she was doing and getting a nod from her. The hunter seated between the headmaster and bird man, Summer to the left of bird man, followed by her husband, who was on the professor's right in the round table. Yang was now on her father's lap, looking at the people around her.

"Miss Ynyr, let me present you our hosts." Began the professor. "You already know Qrow Branwen, he escorted you here from Vale." He pointed at Summer. "She is Summer Rose, mother of two daughters and one of my best huntresses." He said with a smile.

Her cheeks gained a slight tinge of pink and she waved her hand. "Aw, shucks professor!"

He then pointed at the father of Ruby. "Her husband, Taiyang Xiao-Long, another great huntsman."

Summer's husband nodded politely and reached with a hand for her to shake. "A pleasure."

"And finally, we have their two daughters: Yang Xiao-Long" the blonde girl waved at her, though she held an angry look, which honestly looked more cute than anything else. "and Ruby Rose."

As if it was rehearsed, Ruby took that moment to appear from the door and shout. "I've found it!" Recently, she had taken to wear a cape like her mother, only red instead of white, although it was _way_ too big for her tiny size, and she dragged great part of it on the ground. Not to mention that if she got her hood up she would be as blind as a Khezu.

She ran with small steps straight at me, as she usually did whenever she was excited about something. Halfway through, she passed by the table they were sitting, making the hunter's eyes widen as she ran straight at me. None of the others found this strange, but the hunter jumped at her and grabbed her arm. "Don't-!"

She didn't even heard to finish when the sounds of weapons being aimed reached our ears. For a moment, my instincts brought me back to my world, with several hunters aiming their weapons at me. That was until I realized the weapons weren't aimed at me, but at the hunter. And I also realized that _I_ was growling loudly at her.

Summer was aiming the cannon on her sword at her with a look that would have made a Teostra run for their life. Beside her, bird man was also aiming his weapon at her, and Ruby's father was on the verge of standing up and jumping at her, with his daughter on his lap glaring at the hunter with red eyes. The headmaster hadn't moved, but his hands were gripping the cane tightly and there was a clear scowl on his face.

I could feel all the eyes on the hunter, and the expression on her face showed her confusion and fear. Even if the situation wasn't of my liking, I couldn't help but feel a sense of belonging as I was protecting someone I cared about, and that I wasn't the only one that cared about her.

The next words that came from Summer's mouth made it clear that if she didn't comply, she would _die_.

"Let go of my daughter. _Now_."

It wasn't immediate, but she did as Summer ordered, with Ruby clutching the book tightly to her chest and walking backwards towards me, keeping her eyes on the hunter. With the large cape she wore, she ended up tripping, though I managed to catch her with my wingarm. I stood up, with Ruby carefully in my wingarm, and I walked to the other side of the clearing, growling at the hunter to step out of my way.

We were far enough so Ruby wouldn't hear, but I could still listen to whatever they said. I think Ruby knew I wasn't paying much attention to what she was saying, but she didn't seem to care. She likely wanted to stay away from the clearly tense conversation and talking about her drawings was a way to keep her mind off it. She was more aware of what was going on her surroundings that people gave her credit for.

In any case, I kept my ear on what they were saying. "I recommend that you remain calm, Miss Ynyr. Whatever the circumstances in your own world were, they are not the same in ours. Please, keep that in mind."

She nodded, still scared at the looks the other members of the family were giving her. Admittedly, her actions had not given the best first impression to them. The headmaster then convinced her to tell her story after coming to this world. Apparently, after I threw her off the cliff, she managed to survive, although in bad state. She was without any of the hunter's healing items, so she had to use other methods to keep her wounds from opening again. From there, she wandered through the forests of Mistral, surviving as best as she could, avoiding or running away from the Grimm, until she reached the forest around a village, almost without strength and about to faint. She was rescued by a family and brought to a friend of the headmaster.

Afterwards, and having relaxed from the previous situation, Summer told her version of how we met. She left behind the woman I killed and that Maiden they were searching for, amongst other details. I wasn't surprised, seeing as how she hadn't even told her family. I highly doubted she would open to a stranger, especially one she didn't like. I needed to have a link with our _souls_ for her to actually trust me, so good luck at discovering the truth.

"Wait, wait, wait." Said the hunter, as she looked at Summer. "You took _my_ sword out if his chest and it… shined?"

Summer nodded. "I fainted after that, but the next morning my wounds were healed." She showed the sword on the table. "Oh! And wait!"

She darted inside the house and came outside later with the longsword that she took from the corpse at the ruins. "This one did the same but I didn't have any wounds and didn't pass out." She laid the weapon beside the other, though this one was far larger than the table itself, extending on both sides.

When she saw the longsword, the hunter stood up and moved a hand towards it. "No…" She picked it up, with all eyes on her, and unsheathed it partially. Upon seeing the blade, she took a step backwards, sheathing it again and clutching it tightly and crying. "Master Rehanth…"

She turned to me, glaring through the tears. "Did you kill him too, huh!? Did you enjoy it!?"

The headmaster sat up and reached her shoulder. "Miss Ynyr, Mr. Magala did not kill whoever carried this weapon." She looked ta him, still in tears. "The owner of that sword was already dead, most surely at the hands of another Elder, one that Mr. Magala subdued and captured for us."

She shook her head slightly. "What..?"

Summer took this moment to intervene. "That's right. An Elder that Gore called Lunastra had appeared on the desert and we were sent to capture her. When Gore… knocked her out, I found the sword and the body with an armor on it, though it was completely charred and burned." She stepped closer and laid a hand on her shoulder, giving the hunter a warm smile. "For what is worth, I'm sorry."

She looked at Summer for a few moments, followed by her clutching the weapon and more tears. That Lunastra may be weak compared to me, but she could've dealt with a team of hunters. I would feel sad for her if she wasn't the reason I was torn away from my sister. After some minutes of sobbing and tears, she calmed down. "You said that you captured a Lunastra?"

Summer nodded. "And Gore helped. Honestly, he did all the work, I just watched him lay literal hell on the other Elder." She then pointed at the longsword. "Who was he?"

The hunter looked at the weapon and smiled. "Alter Rehanth. He was the one that helped me when I was starting at a hunter. He taught me a lot of what I know, but I left before I completed my training." Her smile vanished and a frown took its place. "I was so determined to hunt the monster that killed my parents, that I didn't listen when he said I wasn't ready. Our last conversation… didn't end well."

The headmaster stepped in, and I was paying close attention. I had a feeling of where this was going, and I think that the professor did too, _somehow_. This guy was a mystery. "And what monster were you hunting down, Miss Ynyr?"

She turned to me and glared. "Him. He killed my parents, alongside most of the village I lived in."

At those words, everyone looked at me. Summer already knew of what I had done, so she wasn't as surprised as the rest. Who was surprised was Ruby, who had looked up from her book and realized everyone's eyes were on us. She gestured for me to move my head closer to her, and without 'taking my eyes off' them, I inched closer. She whispered. "Why are they looking at us?"

I whispered back, even if only she could hear me. _'I think they will have a few questions for me. And not of the good kind.'_

* * *

 **A.N.: the hunters are on the move in their world and the Rose-Xiao-Long family doesn't like Sarah too much, even if her actions were justified in her mind. And Ozpin prepares for future encounters, whether they are violent or not.**

 **Now, for the transformations: while these will be more important in the future, I wanted to leave several things clear. 1** **st** **: these aren't made just for my monsters to have relationships with humans. This is NOT a romance fic, so NONE of that. 2** **nd** **: while this will gain importance in the future, it will not change the main point of the plot: monsters of MH coming to Remnant. It will add more situations, but that's more or less it. And finally, not every new monster will be able to do this, so you will still be seeing more huge-ass monsters and the consequences of them appearing in a new world.**

 **And while I said that I wouldn't do Faunus monsters, this idea came back to me when I was developing the mineral. I thought of how the Brother Gods would want to keep balance and how monsters and humans would be part of it, both as a sort of second attempt and them learning from their mistakes.**

 **Phew! Okay, I know that's a lot, but I wanted to leave things clear. Now, yes, Dr. Gaster is based from the character of Undertale, but it will not make this an UT crossover, just a small wink to a very good game.**

 **As for the facility itself, I called it that out of a whim. But if you guys have any good names, I'm more than willing to listen to them. So leave your ideas! (Is it just me, or does this facility have some relation to the SCP one? I mean, both capture, contain and study rarities, so…)**

 **Reviews!**

 **proiu: you're welcome. And she will, in time. It's going to be hard to change an entire life of believing that those beings that you hunted were nothing more than beasts.**

 **JDS62: it's less likely that non-Elder Dragons get sent to Remnant AT FIRST, but things will escalate in the future. And not having loot is going to piss them,** _ **badly**_ **. I mean, that's like one of the main reasons they hunt.**

 **darkvampirekisses: yes, we can say that! And he will be providing more ass-whoopings in the future, rest assured!**

 **Deathangles14: thank you for the count! And their thoughts will be shown when the scientist in the research center investigate the Virus. It will be… interesting. ;)**

 **Knightwolf1875: I've seen it and it looks pretty good. I had this idea of the Life Essence for a while, and I think you can notice why what you sent me fits right in.**

 **Artyom-Dreizehn(x2): idk how old the one from MHW is, but it could be like some sort of grandfather for our Dalamadur or some shit like that. And I thought of what you said about the beam, and you're probably right. No excuses from my part, just a slip.**

 **RabidArmenian: thank you! (1) Sarah is confused!** **She hurt herself in the confusion!** **(2) I mean, unless you can drop an entire lake on her, I think this chapter shows the best way to do so. (3) uhhhh, wut? (4) Humans are their enemies, so siding with them would most probably be considered treason. But I don't think Spiky Boi would be considered a traitor, just some sort of… cannibal? Idk. (5) I'll make one in the future, this chapter was just too long to add it and I didn't want to add more to the A.N. And don't worry, you aren't spammy. I like to answer your doubts and talk to you, guys!**

 **dandyrr0403: thank you! And I'm glad you liked the chapter. This one was less action filled 'cause I needed to fill in some holes before moving forward. Don't worry, there will be more action in the next chapter. Promise!**

 **Clockwork Bun Bun: he has been detected by Lunastra! She talks shit to Gorey! Gorey is pissed and rolls for combat! Nat 20! Shouldn't have talked shit about his friends and family, dude.**

 **Guest: obviously, not all Elders will be friendly, or some of them may be harmful to Remnant. Maybe not willingly, but Gorey and Summer will face troubles because of this. As for the Sarah thing, I have something planned. The Hunter's Guild is moving and things will change, for better or worse. As for the omake, maybe in the future. Though I imagine the Yama Tsukami as the weird old dude that just** _ **floats**_ **himself and his tentacles in every party the Elders throw, even if he is not invited. Meanwhile, Glavenus is being chased by Ruby to get some good materials for the blade of Crescent Rose! And she is RELENTLESS!**

 **I hope you enjoyed!**

 **Have a great day!**


	12. Chapter 10: A matter of perspective

**A.N.: hello there! Not much to say right now, so I'll leave you with the story while I go and play some For Honor. Not a very good weekend, but, oh well, when live gives you lemons, you pick Black Prior until life rage quits the game ;)**

 **Enjoy!**

* * *

 **Black Dragon, White Rose**

 **Chapter 10**

 **A matter of perspective**

 **/ Summer P.O.V. /**

It was an… eventful evening. After Sarah dropped the bomb of how Gore had killed her family, he found himself forced into the conversation, mainly for questioning from Tai and Qrow. Ozpin remained calm (like, seriously, not even freaking _dragons_ seem to faze him!) but he asked his own questions.

Tai was clearly taking this worse than the rest of us, but I understood him. I was worried at fist when he told this to me, but he has done nothing wrong until now. _'I think you are all are forgetting something.'_ Gore said to me. _'Humans in my world have been hunting us since even before I was born. For them, killing my brother was just another quest that they could take on to gain some money and new materials.'_ While I relayed what he was saying to the rest, I felt his anger rise. _'Tell me, what would have any of you done if someone killed Ruby and used her_ skin _to make_ clothing _?'_

That left all of us in silence. Ozpin had a pensive face while Qrow glared daggers at the air in front of him, imagining the situation. Tai calmed down and we shared a look. We both knew we would do anything for our daughters, and if someone were to harm them, or _worse_ …

We understood what he meant. The silence was broken by Sarah a moment later. "But does that excuse the destruction of an entire village? The killing of dozens of humans just for you to have your revenge?!"

Gore didn't seem faced by her accusations. He shrugged and answered. _'You tell me. Weren't you the one willing to kill yourself just to take me out? Because I doubt that you knew what would happen when you used your Silver Eyes.'_

She glared at my friend. "That's different! You were a threat to the humans close to the Steppes! I did it to protect them!"

I could tell that Gore wasn't buying it. Honestly, neither was I. Though I only spoke to tell her what Gore was saying. _'Sure. Keep telling yourself that.'_ He really didn't like her, and after the _incident_ with Ruby, I shared his opinion, albeit partially. _'In any case, after that night, I stopped killing average humans, only some of the hunters that went after me. And even then, it has been several years since I killed anybody. '_

Thankfully, none of them except Qrow or Ozpin knew about what happened to Salem's agent, and I doubted any of them would say anything. He continued speaking and I told the rest what he said. This would be much easier if he could just talk with them rather than just through me. Stupid weird Semblances… _'I will admit that, at the time when my brother died, I was young, reckless and didn't care about how many humans died at my hands. Do I regret what I did that night? No. But I wouldn't do it again.'_ Everyone was paying attention to what he was saying. Luckily, Ruby had fallen asleep a while back and Yang had taken her to her room, so none of them both had to listen to what was going on.

He continued. _'I leant that killing humans would only create more problems than it solved. Case in point.'_ He pointed his claw at Sarah. _'So I decided to just do it in dire circumstances. What you hunters don't understand, even after all these years, is that it goes both ways. The more of us that you kill, the more resentment the rest of the Elders feel towards you. It's what I think you humans call a 'vicious cycle'. I simply decided I didn't want to have the Hunter's Guild on my back for the rest of my life.'_

While Tai and Qrow were calmer, Sarah was still furious. "That doesn't free you from your actions! You are still a murderer!"

Surprisingly, Gore had kept calm ever since I mentioned Ruby could get hurt if he fought here. I didn't know if this was working on his favor, but at least Tai and Qrow were willing to give him a chance. _'Just like all the hunters back in our world. I doubt any of them regret killing a single 'monster', as you call us. I'm willing to not spill more blood on any side, which is more than can be said for most of you.'_

Sarah looked like she was about to retort, but Ozpin hit the tip of his cane on the floor before she could. "I think that's enough." He turned to the rest of us. "Your thoughts?"

I was the first to speak. "I trust him. He may have been the enemy of humans back in his world, but here he is my friend. I wouldn't be with you all if it wasn't for Gore, so I stand by his side."

I smiled at the dragon, and he smiled back. _'Thank you, Summer.'_

Tai was next. "It's a lot to take in." He looked at Gore. "But I understand his reasons, even if I don't like the consequences. I am willing to give him a chance, as long as he promises that he won't hurt my family."

Gore nodded to him and Tai smiled. We all turned to look at Qrow, who raised an eyebrow before sighing. "Sure, I'll give him a chance. Still pissed at you taking Summer away and later breaking my weapon, though."

Gore snickered. _'It was fun chasing him as a bird.'_

Ozpin was next, calm and composed as ever. "Miss Ynyr, Mr. Magala, both our worlds are similar and different in many ways, but I'm afraid we are not qualified to judge whether of you is right. Not without knowing the full story, at least." He rose from his seat and walked closer to Gore. "That being said, your actions have proved that you have changed for the better. You saved Miss Rose, protected a village from a Grimm attack and helped contain a dangerous Elder from your world." He was now standing in front of Gore, looking straight at him. "If you agree to continue helping as you have been doing until now, you will be considered an ally at my eyes, whatever your past may be."

Ozpin smiled when Gore agreed, though this wasn't over. "How can you just… forgive him like that?! He has killed _hundreds_ of innocent humans and-"

"And as far as I know, the hunters have killed as many of them." Answered Ozpin. "Wouldn't that make you murderers, too? They _are_ sentient beings, after all."

Sarah shook her head. "That's beside the point! They are monsters!"

Ozpin turned his head back to Gore and then back to her. "Well, that's just a matter of perspective, is it not?" I noticed he had this glint in his eyes, the one he had when he knew he had won at something. So many crushing defeats at chess… "Tell me, Miss Ynyr, you have met my friend Leonardo, right?" The girl was confused but nodded. "And you do know that he is a Faunus? A human with animal traits?"

She was still confused, though she was acknowledging what Ozpin said to her. "Yeah, the Nikos family explained to me what a Faunus was. He had a lion tail on him."

Ozpin nodded. "And do you consider him a monster because he is not human?"

Sarah shook her head. "What?! No! He was very polite and helped me reach you."

"Then what's the difference between him and Mr. Magala? And before you answer let me assure you that Leonardo has killed humans and Faunus when he needed to." Ozpin continued, stopping her before she could answer. "Both of them have souls and both are capable of sentient thought. Both of them have made mistakes, but have also made the correct decisions in their past."

"Our souls mark the difference between Grimm and human, and the sentience we have separates us from animals. Mr. Magala is not human, but he isn't a Grimm nor an animal either." The professor explained. "He has a soul, as his Aura and Semblance demonstrate, and his behavior is the proof of his sentience. It is true that, because he isn't human, his actions and morals are different to ours, but that only proves again that he is not a mindless beast."

He stepped closer to Sarah as we all watched in silence. "So let me ask this again, Miss Ynyr. In the very core of their beings, what is the difference between my old friend and Mr. Magala? Or for that matter, what is the difference between _you_ and _him_?"

There was complete silence.

Holy Brother Gods, I knew Ozpin was no stranger to words, but damn! However, he wasn't finished, he still hadn't delivered the coup de grâce. "In fact, I'm more inclined to believe Mr. Magala's side of the story, seeing as how he has been willing to stand against his own kind to assist us. He may have done it only for his friend, a _human_ friend, but he did it nonetheless." He was clearly taller than her and he was imposing, even if he didn't have a muscular build. "So, as far as I'm concerned, nobody here will treat Mr. Magala as the monster you say he is, so long as he keeps his promise."

Sarah was completely silent, just as we were. Even Gore was completely silent, and I couldn't help but feel a bit sympathetic with her. Team STRQ had its own share of 'Ozpin talks', though none as big as this one. Still…

Check and mate.

"I-I don't…" The girl looked at the headmaster, completely at loss for words.

The silence was broken by Gore when he let out a soft laugh. _'I'm starting to like this Ozpin more and more.'_ He pointed with his hand at Sarah. _'I mean, look at her face!'_

I giggled, not at the actual face of the girl, but at Gore's reaction. I also noticed how he had called Ozpin by his name. A step in the good direction.

Ozpin did not look impressed at first, but smiled and let out a small chuckle afterwards. "I suppose a human defending their enemies from another world can cause interesting reactions." He said, as he looked at Sarah. He cleared his throat and stepped closer to Gore. "In any case, I would like for you two to not start anything. If what I assume is true, more creatures from your world will be making their way to Remnant, alongside the hunters that take them here. And as much as the situation in your world is troubling, we aren't in a position to help any side."

"I can't force you to like each other, but it would be in the best interest for the people of Remnant for you put your differences aside and work together." I smiled and went beside Gore, as Ozpin stood in front of us. "One representing humans, the other representing Elders. I know you want to return with your sister, Mr. Magala, but I ask you that you help us for a while longer, until we can find ways to defend ourselves if any of these Elders turn hostile."

Gore seemed pensive for a moment, pondering the request. After all, if Sarah had brought him here, she might have a way to take him back. Noticing his trouble, I patted his head. "Whatever you choose, I will help you however I can. It… will be sad for Ruby and me if you leave, but I wouldn't even think of keeping you away from your family."

Gore looked at me, then back at Ozpin. Before he could answer, though, Sarah spoke. "You're assuming I would take him back. Even if I _knew_ how to go back to my world, I wouldn't bring him with me."

Gore did become angrier at this, growling at Sarah, but she didn't back down. "No! I don't care if you said you've changed! He took _everything_ from my sister and me, and you all just expect me to _work with him_?! No!"

Ozpin sighed. "Please, Miss Ynyr. You must understand that this is for the people of Remnant. Your help would be-"

She shook her head. "Don't you get it?! I won't work with that thing! I simply can't!" She was breathing heavily, and she looked like she was about to tear up. I wanted to say something, but she stopped me. "No. I just can't. I-I… I need time to think."

She walked quickly into the house, with Gore following her with his head until she entered. We stayed silent for a few moments. Ozpin shook his head. "I wished this could've gone differently. What about you, Mr. Magala?"

Gore turned to the professor, who kept talking. "It would seem you are still trapped in Remnant. As I said, your assistance would be a great help for keeping this world safe, but if you decide that you do not want to involve yourself with humanity any more, I understand."

Before he could answer, Ozpin blinked and brought a hand to his chest as he raised his eyebrows. He looked up at Gore and the dragon nodded. Ozpin smiled. "I see. This will definitely help with communication between us."

I squinted my eyes at the two of them. What were they… wait… "You've created a link with Ozpin?!"

Gore turned to me. _'I can respect someone that stands up for me and treats me like an equal.'_ He was definitely calmer now that Sarah wasn't around. _'Maybe I can't trust him as much as I can trust you, but I think Ozpin deserves a chance.'_

"So this is how it feels." I turned to Ozpin. "I am glad that we can talk to each other directly. I'm sure Summer will like the rest."

I threw my hands in the air. "Yes! Finally, I don't need to translate while you two talk!" I sat on the chair close to Tai as him and Qrow laughed. I didn't care. Freedom!

All was good until Qrow smiled mischievously. "You do realize that you still need to translate for us when Ozpin leaves, right?"

…

I groaned. I'm not dignifying that question with an answer. Why must you ruin this moment, Qrow?

Gore chuckled but didn't take long to answer Ozpin. _'Normally, I would rather not draw attention from humans. But I have friends in this world, and helping you is my best option if I want to return to my sister.'_

Ozpin smiled. "Very good." He turned to me. "Summer, would you mind if I stayed for a while longer? It's been a while since we caught up properly, and I wouldn't mind changing the conversation to something lighter."

I smiled and nodded. "Sure. Let's go inside and I'll make some coffee." Tai and Qrow stood up and went to move inside. "Do you take it with-"

Before I could finish, I had to stop and grab onto the wall of the house, as did Tai and Qrow. The ground was trembling _a lot_. The table and chairs shook, and even if our house was very well built, I had a moment of fear that it would fall apart. Gore was luckily lying on the ground, but he still had to use his wingarms to keep himself steady.

I still don't know how Ozpin remained on his feet. He did have to balance himself with his cane, but for the long seconds the earthquake lasted, he didn't lose his footing. Meanwhile, the rest of us _mortals_ had to hold on to dear life _. 'Uh, look at me, I'm Ozpin. I'm a reincarnating wizard that isn't bothered by a meager earthquake. And I'm Gore, a dragon the size of a house and I'm not even noticing the slight movement of the earth under my fat butt.'_

Stupid wizard. Stupid dragon.

Luckily for us, the trembling didn't last long. I did hear crashing inside the house, though. Ugh, I didn't even want to know what broke. I recovered quickly and looked around. "Is everyone alright?"

"Yeah." "I'm alright." _'Yes.'_ "I'm fine as well."

A moment later, the door opened and Sarah appeared. "What happened?"

"An earthquake." Said Ozpin as he dusted his clothes off. Gore stood up and stretched. "But as far as I know, Patch isn't prone of having these, especially of this magnitude."

Tai nodded. "We have been living here for years and I've never felt anything like this." He looked at me. "I'm going to check on the girls."

He left not a second later. "Maybe it's a Kaiju-class Grimm?" Asked Qrow.

The headmaster shook his head. "The Grimm should have been already in sight of the settlement for the earthquake to have such power behind it. And it couldn't have come from the other end of the island. It's too far away."

"So it's not natural and not a Grimm." I think everyone reached the same conclusion. "An Elder?"

This time, it was Sarah who intervened. "I've never seen a monster that has that kind of power. I've heard of some, but they are enormous. The town would have obviously seen anything like them if they were close."

Our dragon friend grumbled, getting our attention. _'The Mohrans are big enough to cause the earthquake from the other side of the island. But it could also be…'_

He stayed silent, as if he had noticed something. "Something wrong, Gore?"

At this point he was mumbling to himself, not noticing that Ozpin and I could still hear him. _'Maybe it's not him, but if it is… she was with him…'_

I stepped closer. "Gore?"

Finally noticing I was in front of him, he raised his head and spoke to us. _'You go check the town. I'll see if I find anything on the rest of the island.'_ The island itself was quite big compared to the town or the city of Vale, so it was quite the area to investigate.

However, before I could voice my thoughts, Gore jumped up in the air and left. "Gore, wait!"

Ozpin hummed. "He seemed worried."

"Wait, I can use the link to call him back and-!"

Ozpin dropped a hand on my shoulder. "Let him be our eyes on the other side of the island. We'll do as he said and check the town."

I wasn't too convinced, but a small giggle made turn around. "'Gore' and 'eyes' are not something I would put in the same phrase, professor."

Yang was laughing as Ruby complained about the pun, with Tai behind them with a smile. "They're alright." He looked around the clearing, noticing the obviously missing Goliath-sized dragon. "Where's Gore?"

"He has left to see if he can find whatever cause the quake. He seemed worried." I answered.

Qrow sighed. "One problem after the other... I'll go with our draconic friend, see if I can help him finish sooner."

"We wanna go to!" Shouted Ruby. "I want to help Gore do… um, what is he doing?"

I smiled and crouched in front of my two sunshines. "We are just searching for something. But you have to stay here. You might get lost down in Patch if there is another tremor."

"Ohhhhh." They both groaned at the same time. "But we want to help!"

I smiled. "No 'buts', young ladies." I booped both of their noses and rose. "Until we find what caused that earthquake you are staying here." I turned to Tai. "Do you want me to stay with them?"

He shook his head. "You go. I'll keep them distracted." He gave me a quick peck on the lips and looked at the girls. "Okay. We're going to play some videogames. If you win, I'll let you have some cookies from the jar!"

At the mention of cookies, both of them rushed inside the house followed by a laughing Tai. Ozpin stepped closer. "You really have a great family."

"Yeah…" In the corner of my eye I noticed Sarah giving a sad look to my girls. She did say something about having a sister. I guess she can relate. And that makes a dragon and a girl separated from their families. I doubt I could live without mine.

What would have happened if Gore didn't intervene that day?

…

No, now's not the time to deal on 'what ifs'. "I'll go down to the town and ask the people there. You both can go to Signal and see if they know anything."

Ozpin nodded and started walking away. "Follow me, Miss Ynyr. Mind if we talk while we walk?"

That was the last thing I could hear from him before they left. I'm sure Ozpin could handle her. Right. I made sure I had my weapon with me, enough Dust rounds and I took the sword just to make sure. I gave the girls and Tai a quick good bye and rushed to the town.

* * *

It had been almost _two hours_ , and everybody was just as lost as us! The quake had left some minor damage on the town. Some buildings had been damaged, mostly the old ones, several stalls that opened on the main plaza had fallen over, but nothing that couldn't be fixed with a little hard work. And as far as I knew, nobody had been badly hurt, just some minor bruises and cuts.

I had begun by asking in the town hall, but I only found more questions than answers. The major told me that the scans on the shore suddenly picked up a gigantic signature, followed by the earthquake. Luckily, the ferry that moves people between Vale and Patch was docked on the main city at the time. But, by the time they checked the consoles again, the signature was gone and there was no sing of any Grimm whatsoever.

After that, I went to the hospital and the police station. None of them had any thing new, and the police only reported a few Grimm at the walls after the quake, which the militia dealt with quickly.

The last stop were the guards of the docks and they did tell me something interesting: two Faunus had entered the city through the docks. Now, that in itself wasn't relevant, but there were several reasons why it caught my attention: there hadn't been any dockings for almost an hour, they had no papers at all and, as a last touch, the taller of the two had knocked unconscious two guards, who had Aura, in _one hit_.

While that wasn't my main objective, I asked for a description nonetheless. I'm a huntress and my job is to keep the people save, so I'll keep an eye open for these two troublemakers. They told me that the smaller one was covered in a grey cape that didn't let their friends take a good look, but they said that it was clearly a woman and Faunus, with a reptilian tail poking under the cape.

The other one was much taller, at least 2 meters, and had a strange armor covering most of his body, leaving only the face for them to see. They described him with white hair and in his late fifties, with two red eyes with slits. They also said that he had a tail that ended in two spikes and sometimes sounded like a rattle. They even saw the Faunus let his snake-like tongue out a couple of times.

It wasn't much, but I would keep an eye out while I ask. I know a lot of people in the town, and if anyone had seen anything, I would know. It didn't hurt to ask one more question, and I doubted that the people of Patch wanted to have some unidentified criminals running around, whether they were Faunus or human.

One of the other things I liked Patch for was that people didn't care what race you were or what traits you had. Compared to Vale, where you would hear something about a Faunus being beaten or killed almost everyday, here things were peaceful, and the people were tolerant. That didn't mean it didn't have criminals, just that there were a lot less and not as grave as in Vale.

After a few minutes of running around town, I didn't manage to get any information about the quake, but several people did saw the odd pair that was in the docks. One of the coffee shop owners told me that he did get a good look at the woman's face. He said that she had the upper left half completely covered in bandages, while the other half had a red human eye and a hair which was a mix of black and yellow.

"She must've had some mental illness." He said. "Tall, scaly and scary was almost guiding her as they walked. He glared at anyone that got too close and when she passed by my shop, she turned her head as if smelling something. They seemed lost, so I asked if I could help them, but when I approached, the girl backed down, covering her face and growled at me! Then, the tall Faunus apologized and left without saying another word!" He rubbed the back of his head. "Weird pair, I tell ya!"

He pointed the direction they went to me. I thanked him and moved a bit faster. He said it hadn't been long ago, and while I didn't manage to find anything about the quake, I might be able to arrest these two. I doubt anything grave would happen to them (probably they just were a couple of homeless Faunus from Vale trying to start anew) but they just couldn't enter the island by knocking two guards out.

I spent another half an hour following their trail, night was about to fall and I was on the verge of giving up. I turned to an alley, thinking that they may have gone somewhere less public, only to almost bump into two bulky men who were blocking the entrance of the alley. "Sorry, miss, but you can't go in."

I was stunned for a second, not expecting to find someone just _standing_ at the entrance of the alleyway. "S-sorry! I didn't see you there. I didn't…" That's when I noticed the symbol on both their jackets: a hand holding a leash that was pulling on a horn, all in red over the black of the jackets. The Tamers. "watch where I was going."

My surprise turned into a small glare. The Tamers were a gang of humans in Vale that dedicated themselves to 'protect the innocent humans of Vale', a.k.a. beat or kill any Faunus that they didn't like, which was mostly everyone. They formed mostly by descendants of those that fought in Great War or those that never approved of the Faunus Rights Revolution. What surprised me was that they were here in Patch. The last I've heard was that they were only seen in the poorer districts of Vale, where most Faunus were.

I didn't like seeing these supremacists here. Not. A. Single. Bit.

"Just be more careful next time." Grunted the one on my left. "Now leave."

He was much taller than me, both of them were, but I had my weapons if they tried anything. I tried looking behind them, but I couldn't see much except some lights and shadows. I glared at them one last time. "Sure."

I didn't want them on Patch, but I couldn't arrest them if they hadn't committed any crimes. They weren't going to stop me from entering that alley, however. I could always take one of the other two entrances, but those were most surely blocked too. Shame for them that climbing up a building wasn't a hard task for a huntress.

After a good use of my Semblance to go upwards out of their sight, I moved on the roof until I had a bird's eye view of the alley. My guessing was correct when I saw the other entrances guarded, but the main problem was in the middle of the alley. The two Faunus I had been following where there!

And they were completely surrounded by more Tamers. Great.

Maybe the two Faunus needed to answer for their actions back at the docks, but I wasn't going to let a street gang run rampart and do as they pleased. I jumped to another building closer to where they were. The smaller Faunus was growling, completely covered by a cape _way_ too big for her. The taller one was putting himself between the girl and the closest gang member.

Giving him a good look, I noticed that he did have some sort of armor on him, which seemed to be made of silver scales and had some wicked looking spikes on his shoulders. The only parts without armor where the head and the tail that moved lazily behind him. The tail also looked strange, with more spikes and ending in two weird spines. I couldn't see his face from my position, but his hair was clearly white and he was taller than anyone in there, even than the two that blocked my way.

The members of the gang made way for what looked to be the leader as he approached the two. "Well, it seems that a couple of stray _animals_ have found their way into our _caring_ hands!" His boasting was received by a small laughter from his friends.

The girl growled at the man but the snake Faunus extended his arm and stopped her. "Leave us alone, human." His voice was calm, not a single trace of fear in it. "For your own sake."

The leader let out a laugh at that. "Look at him. He thinks he's _sooooo scary_!" He turned to the gang members behind him. "Oh, no! Please help me! There' a snake in my boot!" His mockery elicited more laughter from his companions. "I don't think you realize the trouble you both are in right now, _animals_. Do you know who we are? We are the Tamers from Vale, and some of us have decided to expand here to Patch to teach you animals a lesson!"

The tall Faunus didn't seem impressed, but I could see where this was going. I pulled my hood up and reached for Petal and Thorn. I wasn't going to kill them, though I wasn't about to let these idiots harm the two Faunus. I listened as the tall one answered. "I do not care what petty squabbles you have with your own kind, human, but we have nothing to do with it." His voice gained an edge and he took a step forwards. "I'll only ask you once more: _let us go_."

This time, it was the gang leader who growled. "Have you heard this beast?! He says we are of the same species! You Faunus are nothing more than animals trying to pass as humans. We're here to set you where you belong."

The other members readied their 'weapons', which were mostly bats, kitchen knives and rusted pipes. The only one who seemed to have an actual weapon was the speaker, who I noticed had a pistol on his waist. Not good. That can do some real damage to people without Aura. I wasn't sure if the snake Faunus had his unlocked, but I doubt the poor girl had it.

The snake Faunus took a step forward and his tail rattled as he shook it. It sounded similar to that of a normal rattlesnake, but much louder and… heavier, in a way. I could see the gang members take a step back, until the leader, who looked just as scared as the rest, spoke. "D-don't just stand there! Get them!"

The bravest of them shouted and moved to hit the tall Faunus on the head with his bat. I prepared myself to jump but I got curious and waited a few moments. The guards at the docks said that this Faunus had knocked two guys with Aura unconscious in one hit. Maybe he could handle this guy.

The man reached him and swung to the head. The Faunus didn't move to block and I almost panicked when I heard a loud _'crack!'_

It was a moment later that I realized the bat was nothing more than shards in the ground and that the Faunus was unscathed and completely unfazed by the hit. The attacker looked in terror at the remains of his bat. He looked back up, only to be met by one of the laziest punches to the face I had ever seen. I noticed that the Faunus wasn't putting almost any effort into it.

Which almost made me gasp when the head of the human did a _complete 180 degree turn_ , accompanied by a _'snap'_ from the guy's neck. The action made silence fall on the alley until the corpse of the guy dropped to the ground. "You were warned, humans."

The leader pulled his gun out as I prepared to jump. The snake Faunus simply _appeared_ in front of him, cracking the ground where he was a second ago, grabbed the gun in his hand and proceeded to crush it like it was some sort of toy. He followed up by punching the leader in the gut, who thankfully had Aura, and sent him flying towards a wall, which he went through when he impacted.

I jumped down just as one of the gang members behind them tried to attack the girl, landing on him and knocking him out before he could do anything. Nevertheless, I turned to the girl. "Are you alright?"

I could see her glaring at me with her eye, only to suddenly sniff the air and walk closer to me slowly. Before she could take another step forwards, though, a body flew between us in a scream. "I do not recommend you do that." I turned to the source of the voice, which turned out to be the first Faunus. I finally had a good look at his face and I almost stepped back, not out of fear, but at the intensity the eyes he had exuded. The two slits looked straight at me, and I noticed sings of aging in his face, but very few and faint. He seemed to be in his fifties, but it was clear that age didn't affect his strength. He had a square face, a short nose and his forked tongue slipped out before he spoke again. "She's not very fond of humans."

 **(Play:** **Most Wondrous Battle Music Ever: "God Mode" by Sons of Amon (0:13))**

Before I could answer, two other members of the gang ran at him. He used his tail to hit one of the knees of the first one, bending it backwards in a way that was _definitely_ not natural, before grabbing the other guy and throwing him at his agonizing companion. I snapped out of my daze when the gang members on our side moved to attack us.

I twirled my weapons into a reverse grip and punched with the cross guard of Thorn at the face of the first guy, breaking his nose. I followed by sweeping his legs before I shoulder-charged him while he fell, sending him away. For some reason, a part of me wanted to scream _'Miserum!'_ as I did it, but I didn't knew why. The second guy tried to sneak an attack behind me, which got him a kick to his family jewels for his effort before I landed a roundhouse kick on his face.

In the corner of my eye, I caught a glance of the girl fighting the other members. She slashed left and right, leaving very deep gashes and torn flesh behind her attacks. She got hit a couple of times but tanked through them just like the other Faunus did. It was clear that she wasn't used to fighting, as she overextended many times and almost tripped several others. But it didn't matter much as she kept viciously attacking any human close to her.

I turned back to my own fight, parrying a pipe that tried to find a way in my head, following by punching the gang member in the chest twice and jumping in the air to hit him with a kick on the head, knocking him out cold. The next man came at me with a tattered club, which was promptly cut in half by Petal, leaving the guy stunned enough for me to kick him into another of his friends, throwing both of them into a nearby trashcan. I smiled and nodded before turning to see how the two Faunus were doing.

A normal person would have puked at the sight that greeted me, but I was no stranger to death. There were at least 20 Tamers when I dropped down. I had taken out five and the Faunus girl was on her fourth. The snake Faunus, though, was surrounded by blood and the bodies of several humans. A few were breathing, and only three were standing, trembling and pale on the face.

But what truly horrified me of the scene was that, at the moment I turned, the Faunus had grabbed one of the men both by his legs and his torso, and proceeded to pull until the man was _ripped in two_! Blood and organs splattered on the ground and the Faunus dropped the bisected body in the floor as if it was nothing, and turned to the remaining members.

He then ran forwards, and when one of the three remaining tried to hit him, he grabbed his right arm, breaking his wrist, and pulling forward until the neck of the guy met the spines on his shoulder, making the Tamer gurgle and choke in his own blood before dying.

Even before all the death in front of them, one of the two gang members charged forward. Instead of punching him, the snake Faunus grabbed his head and lifted him a few centimeters of the floor, while the man struggled in vain to get free of the grip. A second later, he started screaming, and I realized why later, when his head cracked and exploded in a show of brain, bones and blood.

And that did make me vomit. Who the hell was this guy?!

"Run." It was his only word, and it was followed by the remaining Tamer almost immediately, picking up his unconscious leader and running for his life.

 **(End song)**

I tried to compose myself as I looked around the massacre in the alleyway. Turns out that the girl was no different than the other Faunus, having killed all the humans that faced her. Only the ones I had faced and a couple between the bodies around the snake Faunus were alive. Those two most probably survived because they had Aura.

For a moment I thought that he was about to finish them, only to walk past them in a calm pace and approached the smaller Faunus, who was looking at me. Unlike before, she wasn't glaring, instead, it was almost as if she was trying to make something out of me. I still had my weapons out, just in case.

The snake Faunus laid a hand on her shoulder and she turned her hooded her head to him. She was somewhat taller than me (damn my small height!) but the first Faunus still crouched a bit to be face to face with her. "Are you alright?"

She nodded and then gave me a look before signaling the man to move closer. He inched his ear close to her mouth, and while I couldn't hear what she said, I noticed that she had some trouble speaking. He listened intently while keeping his eyes on me. It sent a shiver down my spine when I looked at them again. It was as if I was looking right into two pools of raw power.

While the girl spoke, his gaze hardened on me and I readied for combat for a moment. "Yes, I've noticed them, too." He said. Before he could jump at me, though, the girl said something that caught his attention. "Are you sure?"

She nodded and whispered something else before backing up and turning to me. I remained silent and waited as the two looked at me. The stench of blood was starting to reach my nose and it made me scrunch my face. The two in front of me didn't seem to care about it, however.

"Human." His voice brought me back to reality and I looked at them. The girl had a curious look on the half of her face that could be seen and her companion looked calmer, although I could notice he was still ready to fight if necessary. "I'm afraid I need to ask you some… questions."

I looked at him, ready to react if he tried anything. "What questions?"

Noticing my tense posture, he sighed and relaxed his own. "Please, do calm down. We do not intend on hurting you."

I let out a short, dry laugh before deadpanning at him. "You do realize that is _really_ hard to believe with all the _corpses_ you left behind!"

He raised both of his hands, his deep voice resonating once again. "I understand, but alas, they wouldn't let us walk away and we defended ourselves."

' _One thing is defending yourselves, the other is literally making a bloodbath out of those that attacked you!'_ I thought.

"However, it is of great importance to my friend here and me that you aid us." He didn't sound like he was lying, and, while looking at his eyes almost made terrified, I took a deep breath.

"Fine, but if you try anything, I will not hesitate to stop you." I said.

The Faunus nodded once. "Very well. We needed to talk with you because my friend smelled the scent of her brother over you, and we were wondering if you had seen him."

Her brother? I don't remember being close to any reptilian Faunus recently, but maybe he was another type. It could happen with Faunus some times. "Well, if you tell me how he looks like, maybe I can help you." I looked at the corpses and then back at them. " _After_ I bring you in for all of this."

The snake Faunus sighed and rubbed his eyes, muttering something about 'humans and their laws'. "Very well, we agree." The girl had kept her eye on me since the beginning, but hadn't said a word to me. Maybe she did have some problem, as the man in the shop said.

"As for a description…" They looked at each other for a moment before they turned to me. "Here goes nothing." He cleared his voice. "Have you seen a black dragon, more or less the size of a house and without eyes?"

…

I looked at the girl, then at the snake Faunus.

I had _so_ many questions…

* * *

 **/ Gore P.O.V. /**

Damn it! Not a single trace of _anything_!

I had went around the uninhabited part of the island several times, going over the cliffs, to the seaside, into caves, and _nothing_! It's not like Dalamadur was a very difficult Elder to find. He was the size of a mountain, for the Ancients sake!

And my sister was no Kelbi either. While she couldn't properly control the Virus, she wouldn't be difficult to find, especially in this island, but nothing! And that earthquake was definitely not caused by natural reasons if what Summer's husband said was true.

Night had almost fallen by the time I returned to Summer's house. Ozpin and the hunter had already returned, but to my surprise, she looked calmer, more composed. She was still keeping an eye at me ever since I arrived, but she didn't try anything. And when Ozpin asked for me to leave them in private, I did.

I don't know what that man said to her, but it seemed that he had managed to get into that stupid head of hers. In any case, I cared not if she decided to change her mind. She didn't know how to take me back to my sister, so it's not as if mattered.

Luckily, Ruby and her sister came outside to receive me. The three of us sat together as we talked, though Ruby and her sister were eating something from a jar the whole time. When I asked what it was, Ruby went on a rant about how it was that I didn't know what 'cookies' were and if I had ever tried one. When I said no, she basically force-fed me one.

She may not had been the strongest, but her stubbornness was undeniable.

The cookie was good. I must admit that humans know how to make food enjoyable when they want, and I would be lying if I said I didn't ate a few while we talked. While I liked the taste, I was worried Ruby may had an addiction. Where did _all those cookies_ go in such a tiny human?!

I was broken out of my musings when I felt Summer return with a couple more people, and while I didn't know who they were, there was something… familiar about them. _'Summer, who are the people with you?'_

She didn't answer for a few seconds, and when she did, she sounded confused. _'It's hard to explain. I can't barely believe it myself. Just… stay there and we'll come to you.'_

What was she talking about? I sat up, making the two girls look up at me in confusion, and moved to the center of the clearing. Ozpin and the hunter noticed me, and the man moved to my side. "Is something wrong, Mr. Magala?"

I didn't know why he insisted on calling me that, but I didn't care too much. It was still better than the names Summer tried to give me back in the cave. _Nothing_ was worse than that. _'I don't know. Summer is back with two others and she's told me to wait here.'_

Ozpin hummed as the hunter stepped closer. Normally, I would have gave her a warning for that, but she had an arm broken and was weaponless, so I let it go. I sensed Summer and the other two make their way to the house. When she reached the door, her husband opened and she stayed there for a few moments, talking to him.

Then, the four of them walked around the house towards us. The first to appear were Summer and her husband, followed by the other two, who stopped when they saw me and kept staring at me. I was using my connection to see, and I noticed that the taller of the two was wearing some sort of armor that made him look somewhat like Dalamadur.

In fact, he had the same eyes and a tail swayed behind him. Was this one of the Faunus Summer talked about? If so, why did he look so much like my friend? He couldn't be from my world, there were no Faunus there, and my friend was a 4km long snake, not… this.

And while he seemed surprised, my attention was drawn to his companion. She was so familiar, but I just couldn't place why! I had never seen a Faunus, and this one had a tail that looked just like mine. I could also see she had some black armor hidden under the hood, and her red eye sent this feeling of familiarity on a whole other level.

Who were these people?

The smaller one walked forward slowly, and I moved to meet her. Her eye was wide, but it didn't show fear, just surprise and something I couldn't describe. There was silence in the whole clearing and after a few moments, we were standing in front of each other, and the feeling that told me that I knew this person had risen by every step I took.

We 'stared' at the other for a few long seconds, until she reached with her hands and lowered the hood that was covering her face. I took notice of her black and blonde hair, but also of the horn that she had atop the right side of her head.

It was a _feeler._ One of the two that each of my kind had when they Ascended, colored in black and gold.

She then proceeded to remove the bandages slowly, and what I saw next shocked me to the core. Her upper left side was completely made out of black scales like my own, and lacked an eye. Close to her nose, the scales and the skin were combined in what looked to be a rather painful way.

And on that same side, another feeler, this time just like mines, stood over her hair.

I was completely stunned. I… didn't even knew what I was looking at, and her smell didn't help either. She smelled just like my sister, only… different. It was as if she had combined hers with the one of a normal human. It was confusing.

Before I noticed, she had laid a hand on my head and I noticed that her eye was tearing up. Her next word answered some questions, and created many others.

"Bro… ther…?" Her tone was pained, and while it was said in the language of the humans, I would have recognized that voice anywhere.

"Sister?" It was my only answer, in our own language, and I didn't need to have a connection see the relief and happiness wash over her, as she proceeded to hug me in tears.

I would have also cried if I could. It was her! It was my sister and she was alive! I didn't care how she got here, why she looked like a human or if there was another hunter around! I had my sister with me again, and that's all that mattered.

Although, the next words that came from the hunter's mouth summarized my thoughts on what was going on.

"What the fuck?"

* * *

 **A.N.: Ozpin roasts the hunter and gains a link as a reward! And Gorey's sister arrives, with an old friend guiding her through the confusing human town. If you are wondering about the strength the monsters have in the human form, it will be explained in the next chapter.**

 **Link: watch?v=ojL5Y5HvOlE**

 **Now, CHIBI OMAKE! It's been a while since I did one and this idea came from one of you in the reviews. I couldn't find who, but you know who you are, so credit for this idea goes to him/her.**

* * *

It was a calm day at Beacon. The sun shined and the students went around doing… student-y things. Some of them talked as they walked to a class or another. Others came and went from the training grounds and the gym, some sweaty from the workout, others ready to give it their all.

Among these students, team RWBY walked, guided by their leader towards the back of the school, where most students usually didn't go. As they walked, the white clad heiress asked the question she and her Faunus teammate are wondering. "Ruby, why are you taking us to the back of Beacon?"

"Because Gore got a job here under headmaster Ozpin himself!" Said the red reaper excitedly.

Blake raised an eyebrow. "Your dragon got a job here? In the school? With all the students around?"

"Yup!" Answered Yang. "Mom told us Ozpin talked to him about a way he could help, and Gore accepted after the talk."

As they neared their objective, Weiss continued the questioning. "Wait a minute. Why would a dragon need a job? I highly doubt he would need the money, so what is the headmaster offering?"

Both sisters shrugged. "We don't know. That's why we are going to ask him now that we have some free time." Said Ruby.

After a bit more walking, they found said dragon sleeping on an isolated spot. "Hey, Gore! Wake up!"

The dragon stretched and looked at the newcomers, waving a wingarm at them. _'Hello, girls. How are you?'_

It was at that moment that the team realized that the dragon was wearing a tie around his neck and something similar to a suit, with two holes on the back for his wings and the sleeves covering his front legs

Ruby smiled and walked forwards, followed by Yang and her teammates. "We're fine. We're actually here to ask you why are here?"

"And why would a dragon need to wear suit?!" Asked Weiss, flabbergasted at the image in front of her.

' _Oh, that.'_ The dragon smiled. _'Let's just say Ozpin made me an offer that I couldn't refuse…'_

"O-kay…" Spoke Yang, surprised at the behavior of his _punny_ friend. "What offer?"

"Ah, Mr. Magala, I hoped I would find you here." The students turned to see the new arrival was none other than the headmaster himself. He was carrying a stack of papers under his right arm. "I'm here to bring you today's paperwork."

"Wait, paperwork?!" Shouted Yang, before falling to her knees in front of Gore. "Nooooooo! Why, Gore, why?! Why would you put yourself through such a torture?!"

"Calm down, Miss Xiao-Long. This a job that benefits us both." He placed the papers on the ground and took a step backwards.

Everyone looked at Gore as he raised a claw and shredded the papers in front of him in a flash. He then raised a wing and flapped it once, sending all the pieces flying away to the forest down below.

Ozpin nodded solemnly. "What Glynda doesn't know, won't hurt me- I mean, us."

Everyone in the team looked with surprise at the scene that just took place in front of them, until Weiss reacted. "W-what… how… why would you just contract Gore to destroy some papers?! Aren't those important?!"

Ozpin looked at her and shook his head slightly. "I'm sure I have no idea of what papers you are talking about, Miss Schnee." He turned to the dragon. "Have you seen any papers whatsoever around here, Mr, Magala?"

The dragon tapped his chin for a few seconds before shaking his head. "Oh! I almost forgot." The headmaster handed Gore a scroll. "Here is your payment: a scroll full of material on Summer Rose and her… behavior here at Beacon during her years. I'm sure the videos and pictures will serve you greatly in the future."

The dragon smiled and pocketed the scroll in his giant suit. Before the headmaster could leave, though, he was interrupted by Weiss. "I'm sure Glynda wouldn't be happy if she heard about this." Her words were accompanied by a stern glare from the other teammates.

"Yeah. You can't just use our dragon to do your work!" Shouted Ruby.

Ozpin nodded. "Yes, Glynda wouldn't be happy. Just as your sister also wouldn't be if one day some carts reached her, telling her that her younger sister isn't top of her class, Miss Schnee."

Weiss eyes widened and she looked away, defeated. "And I sure Miss Goodwitch would also like to have a few words with you if she discovered the type of… literature you held in your room, Miss Belladona."

Blake's face paled at that and she shook her head. The headmaster then proceeded with the two sisters. "Miss Xiao-Long, I'm sure your father would be thrilled to hear of the damages you caused to the clubs that you visited recently."

Yang slumped and looked to the headmaster with pleading eyes. "Oh, c'mon, teach, that's not cool."

He finally turned to Ruby. "And I know Summer wouldn't be pleased to hear that her daughter isn't taking her studies seriously. Maybe she revokes your 'monthly cookie allowance' until your grades improve."

At those words, Ruby hugged her legs and rocked back and forth, with a traumatized look on her face. "No more cookies, no more cookies, no more cookies…"

Ozpin smiled and began to walk away. "So, as long as this doesn't reaches Glynda's ears, your secrets are safe with me." He walked away, making the girls give scared looks to each other and nodding, sealing their lips on the matter.

It was at this moment that they realized Gore was laughing at them. _'Well, my job is done here. I'm going to watch what this thing has and then I'm going to find Summer.'_ An evil smirk appeared on his face. _'Oh, I can already imagine her face.'_

* * *

 **Reviews!**

 **JDS62: well, all stories have different points of view. And don't worry about not being a team player, I wasn't at first, so I simply kept away from where my teammates hit the monster to not bother each other until I got the hang of it. And the chain link will be expanded upon in the future, don't worry.**

 **Deathangles: thanks for the count. And yeah, that was a poor move, though the characters can make the start of a really good joke: a mother, a wizard and a dragon enter a bar…**

 **Knightwolf1875: next chapter! And I'll be using the idea. I'll credit you at the beginning.**

 **RabidArmenian: thank you! And yes, she's not going to be easy to deal with. I'm still seriously considering calling it the SCP facility, though it's not the same without the Peanut. And how dare you call the Lunastra tsundere! You don't know anything, b-baka! And I also have some plans for the virus, don't ya worry, pal.**

 **Artyom-Dreizehn: yup, Elder Dragons do hold a lot of grudges. And that cycle you are talking about is what Gorey wants to escape, because he knows that one day he may end up dead if he doesn't.**

 **CreepingZombie: bad? Nah, all hail the Pickle!**

 **proiu: thank you! Writing Gorey is one of my favorite parts, but also a very complicated one since I have to be careful not to steer too much into making him sound too 'human'.**

 **Guest: yeah. Don't get me wrong, the games give very good reasons as to why we hunt them (*cough* apart from the loot *cough*), but here I decided to make some twists to the reasons and look at it as if the Elders were just as sentient as humans.**

 ***small spoiler ahead***

 **Anyways, I'll explain more about the transformations in the future chapter, but I found a really** **edgy** **cool picture of what Gorey** _ **COULD**_ **look like. The main idea was to have him similar to my prof. picture but if you like the aesthetic, I have no problem in making him look like that.**

 **Image (obviously not mine):** www-pinterest-es/pin/298082069076128518/ **(without the weapon)**

 ***end of spoiler***

* * *

 ***Edit***

 **I don't know what's wrong with the site but it cuts the links I post. If you people want to see the image, just search for 'gore magala humanoid' on google. You can't miss it, it's one of the first images and the character is holding a schyte. I still replaced the link with hopes that this time works. Just change the dashes with dots.**

 **Have a great day!**

* * *

 **Anyways, that's all for this extra** _ **THICC**_ **long chapter.**

 **I hope you enjoyed!**

 **Have a great day!**


	13. Chapter 11: Schemes for the future

**A.N.: hello there! Long, tedious week for me, but a long chapter too. Now, I've been noticing that these chapters are a lot of info dump. I promise this one will be the last for a while, and I will try to focus on plot progression for a while.**

 **Also, in this chapter there will be Elders talking in their language. I will mark it with [] for you to know when they are talking in that language. If I find a different way to do it that I like better I will make you know.**

 **I hope you enjoy!**

* * *

 **Black Dragon, White Rose**

 **Chapter 11**

 **Schemes for the future**

 **/ Gore P.O.V. /**

It had been a couple of hours since my sister and Dalamadur appeared in Summer's house, and ever since then, I had felt far more relaxed than I ever felt since I arrived to Remnant. The only two other beings that I cared about back in my world are now here, and they are adapting relatively well.

…

Okay, Dalamdur and Ozpin were more alike than I thought, but my sister still growls at anyone that comes too close.

Except Ruby. Nobody can growl at those damned 'puppy eyes' of her. And she also seems to like her sister, so that makes two humans she doesn't dislike.

Albeit, my friend's reaction upon seeing Ruby reminded me of my first encounter with her. He just stood there after she waved with a shy 'Hi, mister' and suddenly pointed at her with both his arms. "She's just… so smol!"

"[I know, right?!]" That was my only answer, and I think my sister agreed with her nodding.

It had taken almost those two hours for Dalamadur to explain what had happened while my sister hugged close to me. After her failed Ascendance, she had become much more dependent of me than she was before. I guess the pain really messed up with her, but I didn't mind. She was my family and I would always take care of her, even if now she looked like one of those 'Faunus' Summer talked to me about.

After we both calmed down, Dalamadur started answering everyone's questions, though he remained silent about why my sister had this appearance now. He told us how a group of hunters, with two Silver Eyed humans in it, came to get rid of my sister. Of course, they weren't expecting my mountain-sized friend to intervene and kill the two other hunters in the group. One of the Silver Eyed humans managed to send my sister away in a bright light, but when the other one tried to do the same, Dalamadur appeared in the middle of the sea, causing an earthquake and noticing that the hunter that had managed to get to him had disappeared, leaving behind his broken weapon.

"I know not what became of him." Explained Dalamadur, sipping on some tea Summer had made. "After he finished the chant, I heard him scream in pain, and when I looked where he was supposed to be, only his broken weapon remained."

He then explained how the other human with Silver Eyes had already been killed by my sister. "Wait a minute." Said bird man, as Dalamadur explained. "How does a 4km long snake transform into a Faunus just like that?! Even she did it!" He pointed at my sister. "How do we even know he's not lying?"

' _I know these two are who they say they are.'_ I told Ozpin and Summer. Ruby and Yang had been with my sister and me, until they fell asleep beside my sister, who didn't know what to do while trapped between them. At least I wasn't the only one now. _'As for the transformation, I have no clue.'_

Dalamadur silently nodded. "Then that means we did a good job." He sipped more tea before explaining. "This use of the Life Essence was something that the eldest of our kind vowed to keep secret from the rest, since it could have meant the end of the balance humans and us held over our world."

The hunter shook her head. "'Life Essence?' Balance? What in the Ancients are you talking about?"

Dalamadur squinted his eyes at her. "Strange. I would have guessed your Guild would have explained to you what the Life Essence is." He cleared his throat. "In any case, the Life Essence is the material your sword is made up with." He pointed at said weapon, that now laid on the table. "It is a mineral of extreme power and potential. The Silver Eyed hunters like you can use it alongside your powers to send us here to… Remnant, correct?" He asked Ozpin and the man nodded. "While, as you can now see, we Elders can use it to transform our physical appearance to resemble yours, if only partially."

"I still don't understand how this could break this 'balance' you said we had."

Dalamadur shook his head. "All muscle and no brains. A hunter alright." That drew several chuckles from around him, including mine. "Don't you see it? If even one of the Elders that truly resents humanity lays their hands on this information, how long do you think it would take for it to cause havoc to humanity from inside? It wouldn't be too hard for them to conceal their traits, and the cleverer ones could try to pass as Wyveryans." He sipped on his tea once more, realizing he had drank all the cup, and proceeded to glare at the empty recipient. "And seeing the trust you humans deposit in them, it wouldn't be take long for said Elder to manipulate others around it. Even getting inside the defenses of one of your cities undetected would prove catastrophic, would it not?"

While the hunter looked to be livid at the fact that my friend had insulted her intelligence, his words sunk in fast and realization came even faster. And I couldn't deny it. There were some Elders out there with enough brains to use this information in a harmful way towards humanity. The Lunastra we captured could be an example, even if she was lacking in the 'brains' department, in my opinion.

"Miss Rose." Summer turned to look to my friend. "I wouldn't want to be a bother, but was wondering if you would have more of this delicious tea."

Summer shook her head, though I could notice she was a bit on edge regarding Dalamdur. "It's no problem at all."

While she poured more tea, he spoke. "You are weary of me." That made Summer flinch for a moment. "I suppose the recent events may be the reason why."

Summer closed her eyes and breathed deeply. "If by 'recent events', you are talking about the massacre that you committed in the alley, then yes, you are correct."

Everyone's yes turned to him, including mine, even if they were just a part of my Semblance, and he nodded. "Ah, yes. I was getting to that part."

He talked about how, after managing to calm my sister and transform her, they wandered through Patch's streets and how they ended trapped by these humans. Unsurprisingly to me, my sister and him ended up killing the ones they faced while Summer, who had jumped down to help them, simply knocked out her opponents.

"I told you!" Shouted the hunter. "They are monsters!" It seems that she didn't like the image of a man being ripped apart in her mind.

Ozpin remained calm. "Tell me, Mr…"

"Dalamadur is just fine, headmaster Ozpin. Though I know you humans tend to shorten names, so you may use the name I take on when I transform: Daur."

"Very well, Mr. Daur-"

Dalamadur deadpanned at Ozpin. "Daur."

"Daur. You said that these humans surrounded you. Did you find this as some sort of provocation to attack?"

"No, Ozpin. They were Tamers." Interceded Summer, and I could feel a very uncharacteristic anger coming from her. "I don't know what that street gang is doing in Patch, but they are here, and I _don't like it_. Patch has never had problems with the Faunus. What could have pushed them to come here?" Her husband grabbed her hand and smiled at her. "Sorry. It's just that it-it _pisses me off_ to no end. They didn't deserve to die but I don't want those racists here."

Ozpin nodded at the information. "I wish I could've done more back in Vale, but the Council has my hands tied and half of the police are just as racist as them. Mr. Winchester, one of the high ranking members of the VPD, has a son, and I fear he may be following the steps of his father in regards of the Faunus."

Dalamadur, or Daur in this form, turned his head to the side. "Pardon me, but I'm afraid I'm lost."

"[Faunus are humans with animal traits in this world.]" I explained in the language we Elders used. "[Some humans seem to not like them and treat them with hate and hostility. I'm assuming they attacked you and my sister because of that.]"

And while I wasn't going to say it, I would have hunted those humans down if I had been there. _Nobody_ tries to harm my sister and lives to tell the tale.

Dalamadur turned around and looked at his tail while he hummed. "This world is… far more complicated than I first thought."

Ozpin chuckled. "Don't worry. As long as there isn't a repeat of what happened this evening, I am more than willing to lend you some books detailing the history of our world. I have the feeling that you are someone who appreciates a good book."

My friend smiled. "You would be correct. It's been a while since I managed to get my hands on any kind of human literature. It would be appreciated. But first," he turned to my sister and me, "I would like some time to talk to them in private, regarding the use of the Life Essence."

"Wait! Before you do that, I still have one question." Dalamadur nodded and Summer asked what she had in her mind. "How did are you so strong without Aura? The things that you were able to pull with your bare hands were… inhuman."

"I can understand your confusion, Miss Rose, but it's precisely because we are _not_ humans that we are capable of such feats." He stood up and calmly walked to a tree, away from them. "Does anybody have any sort of attachment with this tree?"

Summer looked around confused, receiving negatives all around. "Umm, no. Why?"

Dalamadur nodded and brought his fist back before punching the tree without much effort. The zone around his fist immediately _shattered_ and the tree, now lacking an entire middle portion of the trunk, feel into his hand, where he held it as if it was nothing. He turned to see the expressions of shock from all the people at the table. Even Ozpin looked mildly impressed and I was similarly confused.

"This form only changes our physical appearance, _not_ our natural strengths or abilities." He laid the tree down carefully. "I have the same strength that I would have in my natural form, though it comes at the expense of control." He chuckled. "I assure you that any Elder that transforms into this will be tripping and falling many times before actually gaining a sense of balance."

He walked closer to the table and picked the cup he had been using. "That also means that if I didn't have control of my strength in this form, I wouldn't be able to hold this vase. It takes a great deal of time and patience for an Elder to master this form."

"I see." Ozpin nodded and rose from the seat, gesturing at the other members of the table. "I think that we will take our own time to privately discuss these revelations while you talk to Mr. Magala and his sister."

My friend agreed and walked to us after hey went inside, only then realizing that the two sisters where asleep leaning on me. I also realized that my sister was caressing the hair of Ruby's sister. It seems she has taken a like to her. "I'm afraid you are going to have to wake them up."

I shook my head. "[They can't understand our language, so I don't think they'll be a problem]"

He rubbed his chin, looking at the two of them and then at my sister. "[Very well. I didn't want the rest around as we talked in case the headmaster knew our language.]"

I turned my head to the side and he understood my question immediately. "[He is far older than he lets on, my friend. Maybe as old as me.]"

I nodded. "[Yeah, I noticed with my Semblance. His soul is extremely old.]"

Now it was him who had a question. "[What is this 'Semblance' you talk about?]"

"[Oh, right, you just arrived. I guess it's time I told you my story here.]" At that, my sister turned to me and paid attention. I explained everything: how I got here, how I met Summer and how she unlocked my Aura. I explained what she told me about Auras and Semblances and the rest of my story. I also told them about the woman I killed and this 'Salem' Summer talked me about, though I urged them to keep quiet, which they agreed.

 _I'm sorry, Summer, but now that my sister and my friend are here, I can't let them get hurt because they don't know what they may be facing._ I thought to myself.

Now, it was Dalamadur's time to look impressed. "[I didn't know such things existed. Barriers from our own souls, powers and soulless creatures. And you say that hunters have a counterpart here that protect humanity and the Faunus from these 'Grimm', correct?]"

I nodded and he kept quiet for a while. Meanwhile, I moved my head closer to my sister and grumbled a bit to get her attention. Now that I could see her eye, I noticed the pain behind it, but the moment she turned to me, it seemed to recede and she smiled. "[I'm… fine…]"

Her voice was rough and coarse and a pang of anger ran through me. I felt so… impotent! She was in so much pain and the only thing I could do was watch! Dalamadur said that she was the only one that could surpass this state and Ascend, but every time she tried, the pain stopped her from achieving it.

It was only the humming from my friend that brought me back to reality. "[And you say humans here are willing to work alongside us?]"

I shook my head. "[It's more complicated than that. The ones we have been talking with do want to help us, but in exchange, Ozpin said we could help protect Remnant from other Elders until they can defend themselves properly, though he says that we don't have to help as long as we don't cause trouble ourselves. All of that until we can leave.]"

Dalamadur looked at the house for a moment, where lights and shadows could be seen inside, and then turned to us. "[I see…]"

I caught my sister glancing at Ruby's sister and then back at Dalamadur. I looked at the two for a moment, before speaking my mind. "[I… I honestly don't want to return.]"

That made both of their heads snap towards me. "[Why wouldn't you want to return?]"

I shrugged. "[Why would I, anyways? I have made friends here, the hunters won't be able to reach us, especially if we help Ozpin, and I have you both here at my side.]" They kept silent as I spoke. "[I have nothing to return to, and I like it here. It's a new beginning. Think about it: no hunters, humanity isn't after us and as long as we don't harm the people living here, we have free roam of this world.]"

Dalamadur was pensive, with a frown on his face, and my sister tapped me in the side to get my attention. "[Brother… the… mountain…]"

"[Do you even feel it here, sister?]" I asked. I didn't feel anything since I came here, and I doubted she did either. "[I know it's hard, but try to focus on it. Ever since you came here, have you _really_ felt the mountain calling to you?]"

She closed her eye and focused as I said, grunting from the pain, before suddenly opening her eye and shaking her head in bewilderment. "[See? You don't need it. I will help you Ascend, if that is the only way to stop the pain, but you don't need to spread the Virus over the world.]"

"[I understand what you mean.]" Said Dalamadur. "[It truly does seem like a new opportunity. But I can't just leave our world while the balance shatters. It's my responsibility.]"

"[For what?]" I asked. "[For the humans to come and crush it again? I'm not saying that what we did wasn't necessary, but weren't we just delaying the inevitable? Humans back in our world will not stop until everything belongs to them. Maybe the ones here are the same, but we don't know.]" I sighed. "[It may be wishful thinking from my part, but maybe, just maybe, we can turn this world into one where humans and Elders can live in peace, maybe even cooperate.]"

The two stayed silent for a while, and for a moment I thought I had said something I shouldn't. "[I… can see what you are saying, my friend, but… it's hard to even _imagine_ something like that.]"

"[Why?]" I asked. "[I have been with this family of humans for a while, and while I know not everyone will be as easy to convince as them, I, at least, feel like we should try. The worst that could happen is that they don't like us, but they will we too busy with the Grimm to even worry about us, especially if we stay away from civilization.]" I knew that this would be really hard to accomplish, but not having the damned Guild on our backs was too good of a change to pass. "[But if we succeed, we will no longer have to worry about being hunted, we could help maintain the balance in _this_ world while helping humanity and the Faunus fight the Grimm off.]"

Dalamadur remained silent, but my sister spoke. "[Don't… like… humans…but…]" She looked at the sisters that were asleep beside her. "[Trust… you.]" She smiled, even as her voice came out coarse and rough. "[I… help.]"

I smiled and turned to Dalamadur, waiting for his response. He remained quiet, until he breathed in deeply and closed his eyes. "[This… will not be an easy task. There are many matters to arrange and discuss, and I'm still not completely convinced. But,]" he opened his eyes and looked at us, "[I don't feel like wasting this chance either. I shall think about it.]"

I nodded. I knew him well, and this was a real opportunity, if a faint one. He would agree in time. "[For now, I have to teach you how to transform.]" That gained my attention. "[Normally, I wouldn't consider this, but seeing the relationship you have with this family, I believe I can trust you with this secret. Your sister was more of a dire situation, something I would rather not repeat, but it's already done, so I guess she can learn about this too.]"

"[But first, we must find more Life Essence. Your sister was lucky to be transported beside me, as I could give her some of my own for her to use, but we'll need more for you.]" He looked around. "[The problem id that I don't know if Remnant holds this mineral.]"

At that, a thought came to mind. The thought of the place I appeared first in this world. "[Actually,]" the two of them turned to me, "[I think I know where to look.]"

* * *

 **/ ? P.O.V. /**

The child ran through the forest, dodging trees and branches as he tried to put distance between himself and me. How cute. He stumbled on a branch and almost fell. He looked around, trying to spot me or any of his friends, but I had already dealt with them.

As he kept running, I moved between shadows, concealing my presence from his eyes. Even if it was the middle of day, the thick canopy of leaves covering the sun made the forest down below a sea of darkness and the perfect spot for me to pursue this human child.

The kid reached a rock and hid behind it, looking around to catch a glimpse of anything that moved, but I remained hidden. He took big gulps of air through his mouth, resting his head on the rock, thinking he has escaped.

I simply waited a little longer, jumping from branch to branch, moving closer to where he was. It wasn't long before I was right on top of him, though he hadn't noticed a thing of what was happening right above his head. Just to make things more fun, I rustled the branch and make him look up.

And that's when I jumped down, making the child scream in terror and-

"Ha, ha, ha! Stop it, Midnight!" He said between laughs. "I-it t-tickles!"

I smiled and proceeded to tickle him more. "Then you should have though better than to run from me!" I said as he laughed without control. "This would have been much easier if you just surrendered as the others did!"

"N-never!" He said without stopping to laugh. "Now, guys!"

The other 3 kids jumped from behind the bushes to tackle me. I knew they had been following us since the beginning, but I let them have their fun. "Oh, no! I've been ambushed by the rest of the great hunter's team!"

They tackled me and the five of us started the 3rd Great Tickle War of the day, as I made them laugh while they tried their best to overwhelm me. It didn't help them that I had the strength of several humans behind my back, even if I was controlling myself to not hurt them.

Our fun was stopped by the town's official party pooper, Icharias. "Okay, aspiring hunters, leave Midnight alone." He looked at me as the kids stopped laughing. "You have visit, an important one."

Ugh, it was always important with him. "Coming, _dad_." The kids laughed at my joke, but I stood up. "C'mon, you heard the grumpy hunter. Back to the town everyone!"

They groaned, even if a second later one of them said something about a race to the town, making the four of them speed up to reach their homes first. They passed by Icharias, saying their good byes to both us. I dusted myself off while he approached. "I know you like to have fun with them, but we have duties to uphold, Mid. These forest don't clean themselves up alone, you know?"

I waved him off. "You worry too much. With the both of us here, there's not a single monster that can threaten the town." I smiled and showed the spines of my tail while punching my fists together. "I dare them to try."

He shook his head in his Dreadking armor. "How many times have I told you not to grow overconfident. That those crystal gave you an edge when you were born doesn't mean you are invincible." He let out a small laugh. "I still don't know what went through your mind as a pup that you decided to eat a freaking _mineral_."

I _totally did not_ pout at that. "Hey, It was only once, and I was still a baby, so you can't blame me!" I crossed my arms.

He chuckled again. "Yeah, only once? What about the second time when you swallowed those _other_ strange minerals." I couldn't see his face because of the helmet, but I could picture his smile behind it. "Seriously, what's with you and eating unknown and surely dangerous minerals?"

I felt the heat rise to my cheeks but I already knew what to say. "Well, at least I didn't let myself be swallowed by a Deviljho to kill him!"

He shrugged and turned around. "It worked, didn't it?" He walked away and I made to follow, grumbling under my breath.

A few minutes later, we were back in the town. _Our_ town. It wasn't very big, the terrain around it making it hard to expand, but I didn't care. I had been living here my entire life, alongside its people. The town was settled on the edge of the forest, with a mountain range that went around said forest and prevented any monsters to reach the side from that way unless they flew over or dug under. A few kilometers to the other side, the cliffs that lead to the sea provided us with fresh fish, but also impeded us from building in that direction.

The only way in or out of the town was through a path on the forest that led to the next village a couple of days away, or through boat. Luckily, the village didn't have any problems with trade, seeing as how we had a little bit of everything;: meat, fish, wood, minerals, etc. It wasn't perfect, but it was our home.

And with me and Icharias defending it, the caravans through the forest haven't had a single attack in years.

The people greeted us as we passed them, though we realized quickly that there was quite the commotion in the center of the village. Whatever it was, I just hoped we could deal with it soon. It had almost been 48 hours since I transformed and I would have to revert soon, and while the village knew what I was, I didn't want to cause problems with my size.

As we neared the center, the people let us through, and I could finally see what was the reason of all this mess, or better, _who_. "Master!"

I shouted and waived at the Kirin that was standing beside the leader of the town. The Elder nodded to the mayor and he gestured to the townsfolk around us. "Okay, people! You already took a good look, now go back to work! I'm sure you're all busy someway, and if you are not, I will be more than happy to give you something to do!"

That managed to disperse the crowd and Icharias and I approached my master as the mayor left. He turned to us and nodded once. "Hello, little one, hunter Icharias."

While Icharias waved back, I glared at him. "Why do you keep calling me that? I'm already 21 human years old!"

He didn't care , though. "And to me that still means that you are a child."

Icharias chuckled and I pointed at him. "Then why don't you call him that too?! He's just two years older than me!"

"Because he has earned that title." He answered. "He is a renown hunter, but unlike the rest of his same profession, he understands the thin balance that must be maintained for the benefit of us all."

I was about to retort, but he snorted and planted one of his legs heavily on the ground. "Enough small talk." When he was like this, it meant that something serious had happened, so I listened, as did Icharias. "This balance is actually the reason I have come for both of you: my pupil and her Silver Eyed friend."

Icharias and I stared at each other for a moment before the Kirin spoke again. "Come, we must not waste time. I'll explain while we exit the village."

The both of us were confused, but followed as he led us outside at a calm but steady pace. "The reason I need you both is… complicated. One of the other Seven Keepers has disappeared, an old friend of mine who I haven't seen in years." He glanced backwards at us. "I suppose you have not heard about the disappearance of Elders recently?"

We both shook our heads. "No, nothing of the sorts, but the last time that I was on the Guild's headquarters there was quite the ruckus. The old leader had died recently and the new Head of the Guild was researching new ways to get rid of the Elder Dragons." He looked at Kirin under his visor. "Has he created a new weapon of sorts?"

Kirin shook his head. "More like 'rediscovered an old fairy tale that was more real than anyone thought'." We were reaching the exit that led to the forest by this point. "And it's related to your eyes and the material your weapon is made of, which turns out to be the same mineral you ate when you were a baby, my pupil."

My eyes went wide and I looked to my side, where Icharias checked his greatsword, the Vulcatastrophe. I knew that Kirin had gave him permission to use a new mineral we had found to make it, but I didn't know it was the same I ate all those years ago. "What are you talking about, master?"

He sighed. "That mineral is one of the secrets the Seven Keepers maintain away from other Elders and humans, but recently, the Guild has found the way to use it again. It's powers are something that allowed humans to fight back hundreds of years ago, wielded by Silver Eyed hunters such as yourself."

We were now away from the village, secluded from the rest of the townsfolk. We stopped and he turned to us. "I suppose you are still a bit lost." We both nodded and he let out a chuckle. "Then let me enlighten you."

He then told us how, after the war between humans and Elders, several Elders chose to keep the mineral, the Life Essence, and its properties secret. Supposedly, in the hands of an Elder, it could be used to transform into something similar to a human, like myself.

"But I'm not an Elder." I said. It's true that my ancestors belonged to a different kind of monster, one that was partnered with humans that called themselves Riders. According to Kirin, it's because of this that I have a sentience like Elders do, but I'm still not one of them. "Why does it work on me?"

He shook his head. "I do not know, child. Maybe it's because of your ascendance, but the Essence remains a mystery to us all, even today. I do know that, without it, the powers that come from your ancestors wouldn't be able to manifest on you, but I have never heard of any other Inferiors that had enough brains to even think about using it."

He then continued explaining how humans could melt the ore into their weapons, though only one with Silver Eyes could truly use it, as it turns dull whenever a normal human wields it. What came next left Icharias and I even more perplexed, if possible.

"Silver Eyed humans can pronounce a chant with the Essence that allows them to send whatever Elder or Inferior the mineral is in contact with, alongside themselves, away from this world."

"Wait a minute." Said Icharias, reacting faster than me. "You say that they kill each other with that chant?"

Kirin shook his head. "No. They do not die, they are sent away from this world, but they can return if they use the chant again. To where they go, I do not know, but it must be a place where they can survive, as I've seen hunters return with the bodies of Elders from the other side." He looked down and shook his head sadly. "There had only been a few for now, but I fear what might happen in the future."

I started putting two and two together and realization hit me. "Wait, your friend was sent to this other place?"

He nodded. "Yes, alongside the mad Magala that lived close to him. The rest of the Elders that have returned as corpses are of no mention, but I guess you have heard of the Ruler of the Steppes? He has disappeared too, although I haven't seen its body yet."

My eyes went wide at that. "Him too?!" That Gore was well known because of his strange behavior and power. He almost always left the hunters after him alive, but I heard that any Elders that wandered into the steppes were sent back to where they came with their tail between their legs. Whoever faced him must've been really good or have gotten _really_ lucky.

"And who is this friend that was sent to the other side? Another Kirin?" Asked Icharias.

Kirin smiled, but shook his head. "No. You humans know him as Dalamadur."

…

"WHAT?!" We both shouted at the same time. _The_ God under the Mountain was his _friend_?! What is going on around here?!

"My request is simple, but extremely dangerous: I want you, hunter Icharias, to take Midnight and yourself to this other place and find a way to bring Dalamadur back." His voice hardened. "His presence here is necessary to maintain the balance so that the Guild doesn't destroy everything we worked for."

We were left in silence, only stopped as Icharias rubbed the back of his helmet with his hand. "I… I don't know if I can do that. What about the town? We can't leave it unprotected."

"Do not worry about that. I shall remain here and make sure that it stays safe until your return." He said. "I know I'm asking a lot from you, but I can't leave this world. If more of the Seven disappear, the balance will be at risk."

"If you have worked so hard to keep _all_ of this secret, why tell us now?" Asked Icharias. "Why risk everything you have worked for?"

I was still processing all that he had said, but listened nonetheless. "Dire times are approaching, I know it. And I don't know for how long we'll be able to maintain the balance, but we must try. I'm telling you this because I know I can trust you, and because if something happens to me or the remaining Seven, the knowledge must not be forgotten."

I looked at him, surprise and fear in my eyes. "Are you going to…"

He shook his head. "Calm down, child. I know not the future, but if I were to pass away, somebody else needs to know about the Life Essence for it not to be forgotten. But trust me, I have no wish to die any time soon, and if a fight presents itself, I will not go down easily."

That did calm me down a bit, and Icharias and I looked at each other. "This… this is a lot to take in. I don't even know if we are ready to do this, master."

He shook his head lightly. "I know, but I wouldn't be telling you if it wasn't completely necessary."

Suddenly, I felt a small discomfort spread through my body, and disappear a moment later. I sighed. "Okay, step back, I have to turn back into my normal body."

Icharias nodded but Kirin seemed surprised. "Is there a reason for it?"

I stared at him. "You were the one that told me that I shouldn't spend more than 2 days in this form because it could hurt me. Don't you remember?"

"Oh, that!" He chuckled. "I lied."

…

You know, at this pace, I'm going to actually start wondering if I'm really a Nargacuga or just a really well done illusion. I breathed in deeply and looked at him. "Why?"

"At first, it was to make sure that your transformation wasn't harmful to you, but I realized later on that if the Life Essence had been harmful to your body, you would have died already." He said in a calm voice. "After that, I simply forgot to tell you."

I glared at him and he rolled his eyes. "Oh, please, child. Let's see you reach my age without forgetting something."

I crossed my arms, still glaring at him. "Then why do I feel uneasy when I spend more than two days in this form?"

Kirin did the best impression of a shrug a horse could do. "Maybe the force of habit. In any case, that's not important now."

' _Suuuuure. Change the subject now, but we will have a_ very _long talk after this.'_ I thought.

"Go grab whatever you think that you will need for this mission." He said, his tone serious once more. "I don't know how long you will have to leave, but keep in mind that this mission will be far more dangerous than anything that you have ever faced."

We returned to the village quickly, packing potions, rations, steaks and several other things. I grabbed my dual blades, the improved version of the Brimstern Drakeclaws, strapping them to my sides. Icharias even readied the small slinger that the Guild had been giving to those hunters that ventured to the new world, and to some of the best hunters that stayed behind. We said our goodbyes to the people in the town and headed back to the forest, where Kirin was waiting for us.

He ordered Icharias to stab his sword to the ground and for both of us to reach to it. "One final warning." He said in his stoic voice. "Dalamadur's body and soul are too strong for one single Silver Eyed warrior to transport from wherever he is. You will either need more Essence of another human with Silver Eyes. If you are not able to locate any of those things, return here after you find Dalamadur, and we will try to solve the issue."

"And how do we use this… Essence to reach him?" Asked Icharias, voicing my thoughts too.

"There is a chant that you must use." Said Kirin. "Repeat with me."

"For it is in passing that we achieve immortality."

Icharias repeated what Kirin said while looking straight at the sword. I held onto it, with a little fear of what would happen.

"Through this, we become a paragon of virtue and glory to rise above all."

Suddenly, a light started coming from the sword, slowly and weak at first, but growing with every word until I had to cover my eyes with my arm.

"Infinite in distance and unbound by death."

At this point, I could barely see anything around us, but I could still feel the sword in my hand.

"I bind your soul, and by my sword smite thee."

The light engulfed us, but I was able to hear the last words of Kirin before we left. "Good luck."

When I opened my eyes, I was greeted by the leaves above my head, blocking the sunshine. For a moment I thought we hadn't left the forest, but when I sat up and looked around, I realized the lack of my Elder mentor and that my surroundings were different than the forest around the village. The trees were smaller and there was no path on the ground, and also lacked many of the brushes and plants that resided in the forest back home.

I noticed that Icharias was lying on the ground, a hand on his greatsword and sleeping calmly. For a hunter, he was a heavy sleeper. Most of them got used to basically waking up at the smallest of sounds. He, on the other hand, could sleep through an stampede of Deviljhos! Well, maybe I'm exaggerating a bit, but I'm not lying when I'm saying that he is really hard to wake up.

I tapped him on the shoulder, receiving a muffled groan in response. Not having the patience for that, I got up and kicked him softly on the stomach. He groaned again, though this time I could tell he was up. "Did you really need to do that?"

As he recovered, I smiled. "What? It was just a soft kick to get you up and running."

Even with the helmet on, I knew he was glaring at me. "You have the strength of several humans. Your 'soft kicks' can break someone's bones if you're not careful."

I shrugged and helped him stand up. "Get up, you big baby. You're fine and you have several potions, so stop complaining."

He sheathed his sword while mumbling something I couldn't quite catch. "So, did it work? Are we here?" He looked around the area we were. "Wherever here is…"

"It's not the forest from back home, that much I can tell." I let my senses of smell and hearing tell me what information I needed to know from this place. Most of the things around us where trees and plants, and I could smell a few strange things. They must've been animals, because they were moving and smelled something similar to bones and smoke, though there was no fire around us.

What really caught my attention were the sets of hurried steps coming towards us. By the sound they made, there was a person, a small one, running towards us, followed closely by two other heavier sets of steps behind them. My smell confirmed that all three were humans, the first one female and the other two male. What surprised me was the smell of blood and sweat coming from the first one. The other two also smelled of blood, though much fainter.

I turned to their direction and warned Icharias. "Humans coming from that direction. The first one is barely a minute away. Woman, and I can smell blood on her. The other two are male and seem to be following her."

My partner nodded and reached for his weapon, though he kept in on his back. I did the same and waited. A few seconds later, the steps became clearer and we both tensed. "Get ready." Said Icharias.

I nodded. We didn't know where we were and what these people wanted, but with the warnings of Kirin in our heads, we didn't want to risk it. If they weren't hostile, then we could try communicating with them. If they were, though, we weren't going to let them get their way with us.

We were ready for anything.

Except for a small girl to appear from behind the few bushes that were around us and trip right in front of me. She was panting hard, and she was wearing nothing more than a few rags that covered her private parts and barely anything else. Her hair was dirty and she was full of cuts and wounds, many of them too big to be from running around the forest.

She tried to get up, only to stumble and fall again. Luckily for her, I was there to catch her. "Hey, calm down. You are in no state to be running around."

It was at this moment that she raised her head and I could take a good look to her eyes. And I had never seen so much fear in a single person in all my life. A myriad of emotions appeared in those eyes: pain, fear, relief and a pleading look that reached my core. This girl wasn't afraid, she was _terrified_.

I was so caught up with her eyes that I almost failed to see them literally change color, from white, to brown and pink, one color each, and then back to white. Taking a better look at her, I noticed that even if her hair was a complete mess, I could still see small strands of brown and pink on it too.

I broke out of my stupor and addressed her, while she still held on to my arms. "Are you alright? What are you doing in the middle of the forest?"

I didn't knew if she understood me or not, as she didn't answer. I think she was still trying to understand what was happening. It was at this time that Icharias intervened. "She's too scared to answer, Midnight."

We both turned to him and I could feel the girl grip my wrist tighter when she saw his armor. I didn't blame her, that armor can be pretty scary for a child, even if Icharias had a talent for dealing with them. I might have been the 'fun' one back at home, but he was the one that almost always knew what they needed or how to treat them.

Before we could talk again, the sounds of steps and voices reached us. "Where did that damn brat go?"

Another voice answered. "I don't know. That fucking decoy made us loose time. But now that we know she has a Semblance, we can sell her for a higher price."

The first voice answered and I noticed the girl hurriedly trying to get behind me as they approached. "The boss will be selling our hides if we don't find her, so shut up and keep looking."

I looked at my partner and he glanced between me, the girl, who had managed to get behind me, and the direction the voices where coming from. "I think now we know why she was running around in the forest."

I nodded and stood up, a frown on my face and an arm keeping the girl behind me. It wasn't long before the two men came onto view. One of them had some sort of sable on his hand while the other held what looked like a small version of a bowgun, though only with the trigger and canon.

They looked at us and then at the girl who tried to hide behind me with her best efforts. The one closer to my right addressed me first. "Hey, Faunus, hand us the girl. She needs to go back home with mommy and daddy." The man flashed a toothy grin.

And I had to hold every cell in my body to not jump and beat him dead. "Don't worry. We'll take _really_ good care of her." Said the other one. "But first, she needs to be punished for being a naughty girl and running away from home."

I was about to pull my blades when Icharias stepped between us. "I'm afraid not. It's clear that you are not the parents of this girl, and some of the wounds in her body look like they were made by a whip."

That's it! These guys were so fucking dead! Icharias stopped me once more, talking to those two assholes. "But we are kinda lost. So how about we make a deal?" He stepped forward, making the two guys flinch at the tone of his voice and at the sheer aura that my 1,80 (5' 9") meters tall friend emitted with that armor. "You tell us where the closest city or town is and we leave, _with_ _the girl_ , without crushing every bone in your body. Sounds pretty fair to me."

"Oh, look at that. The huntsman is playing hero." Sneered one of them. "I have a counter offer. Give us the girl _and_ everything you've got, and we don't tell our boss you tried to meddle in his affairs." He then looked at me. "In fact, why don't you give her to us too? She'll sell rather well, I tell you that."

I didn't know if these guys were blind or simply thought they were untouchable. When I transformed, my scales also changed into an armor that covered me. When I turned back, the scales would fuse back again, even if I wasn't wearing them. Though whatever clothes I had on would be ripped to shreds.

Basically, this guy had threatened two fully armored strangers with weapons made to cut open the strongest of monsters. Not the cleverest human in the surrounding area, that much was clear.

"Sell her?" Asked my partner. He then looked at the girl and pulled the dots together. "Human trafficking." He muttered.

"How much of a scum do you have to be to do this?" I asked to the two humans.

The other guy raised his weapon and pointed at me. "None of your fucking business. Now hand over the girl." The other pointed his weapon at Icharias.

We looked at each other and I nodded. "Very well." Said my friend. "Just don't kill him. We _are_ still lost, if you don't remember."

I glared at the two idiots. "Fine."

With that, I jumped at the guy closer to me, the one with the small gun, while my scales blocked the bullets as if they were small gusts of wind. I decided to not pull my weapons out and simply grabbed the weapon and threw it away, stunning him with an elbow to the face at the same time.

Icharias threw the guy's weapon away and punched him in the gut, making him bend over. He took this change and kneeled him on the face. Of course, the following _'crack'_ from the asshole's nose was expected, especially with him wearing his armor.

I looked back to the one I was facing, as he recovered and tried to throw a punch at me. I dodged it to the right and kicked him on his knee. I may or may not have put a _bit_ too much power behind it, as the guy screamed when his knee bent the _other way around_ than it was supposed to.

Even I cringed a bit at that.

I turned to look at Icharias, just in time to see him grab the trafficker's punch with his hand and start crushing his fingers. He then elbowed his chest, without letting his hand go, and threw him over himself and then to the ground, before stepping on his neck. The guy flailed around and tried to get my friends feet off him in vain.

The girl kept looking at us with an open mouth and wide eyes. I smiled at her and then grabbed the trafficker by the collar of his shirt, pushing him to a tree. "Okay. No that that's over, what the fuck were you doing to that girl?"

"Fuck you!" He shouted, which resulted in my fist colliding with his face.

"Midnight, let me do the talking." He moved closer to the face of the guy he was over and pulled out his carving knife. "Do you know what this is? And no, it's not a simple knife." The guy shook his head. "This is a carving knife. It is made to, as it's own name implies, carve through the toughest hides and scales. Now, I've never used it on skin, but imagine what it will do to your soft and fleshy human skin." He dragged it through his cheek, cutting through it without problem, making the guy whimper. "You are going to tell me what we want, because if not, I will open your stomach and start pulling organs and bones out until you are just a husk of skin. And before any of you say that I won't have the guts to do it, I assure you, you are not the first."

Well, he wasn't lying. He had carved _monsters_ and taken out many useful parts, but never on humans. The Guild prohibited for a hunter to raise their weapon against another human, so anyone that did so was immediately expelled.

"You-you're lying!" Shouted the one I held. "A-a huntsman would never do something like that! You're all goody-two-shoes!"

Icharias didn't listen and moved his knife closer to the guy's chest. I decided to play along and turned to the one I was holding. "You know that, after making you watch, he's going for you, right?"

That made the guy pale, but it was at this point that the other gave in. "I'll talk!"

I let the other guy fall down to the ground and walked to Ichrarias. "What were you doing with the girl?"

My friend lifted up his feet a bit and let him talk. "W-we were supposed to take her t-to the main hideout, where the rest of them are! Then they w-would pays and we would leave until they called us again!"

"The rest?" Asked Icharias, pressing his feet. "Are there more?"

"Yes, yes!" He shouted, hoping that he would lift his feet. "They are waiting for more b-batches of kids and girls to sell!"

My blood was boiling at that point. What kind of world was this?! What kind of monster would do this?! I was pulled out of my thoughts when I noticed a small pull on my hip. Looking down, I saw my weapons perfectly sheathed and in the center of the clearing was the girl, staring at us.

I stopped paying attention to what they were saying and looked at the girl. She didn't react, in fact, she was perfectly still. She wasn't even breathing! My hearing alerted me to something close to the other trafficker.

But I was too late.

The gurgle coming from his mouth alerted the other two. The trafficker I had taken down was impaled to the tree by one of my blades, and holding it was the girl, with a face full of pain and anger. I reached to my hip and one of my blades shattered into glass. I turned to the girl and walked to her as she pulled the blade out.

She didn't resist when I took the blade from her hands, as she kept glaring at the corpse. I sheathed my blade and kneeled to the height of the girl. "Hey. Are you-?"

I was cut off as she hugged me with all her strength, and I could hear her sobbing. I didn't take long to hug her back, and we remained like that for a moment. We separated and walked towards Icharias, who had already finished with the guy. "There is a ruined town east from here. We can take one of the roads from there to reach one of the towns around it."

I nodded. "We should leave, then. I can smell several things approaching. I don't recognize them, but they will surround us if we don't leave." I looked at the trafficker. "What do we do with him?"

Icharias stepped off, letting him breathed as he seated. For a moment, I thought that he would let the asshole go, but in a swift movement, he stabbed the knife through his leg, making him scream.

He rose and sheathed the knife. " _Now_ we can leave."

We started walking away and I could hear the guy get up and try to run, only he was heading straight to those things, and with that leg wounded, he wouldn't get very far. "What about the rest?"

"Don't worry, I found out where they are keeping the people." He said. "But even if we are strong enough to deal with normal humans with ease, we don't know how many of them are and if they have people trapped, they might want to… well, get _rid of the merchandise_ rather than let it go free, if you get what I'm saying." I nodded. "And then you saw what this girl can do." He pointed at said kid, who was holding my hand as we walked. "If any of them can do anything similar, we might be in over our heads. The best we can do is find the proper authorities, if there are any in this w- in here, and tell them what we know."

I agreed, but I didn't like it too much. We kept walking in silence for a while, towards the east. The forest was getting less crowded with trees and we could now see the clear sky above us. As far as first impressions go, this world wasn't giving the best for now. And I didn't come here for the good sights.

That didn't change when a shadow sped past over us. I was able to take a look at it and notice it was a dragon, completely black. We stopped and stood still until it passed. Icharias went to move, but I made him stop. "Wait! Look."

There, falling slowly from the air, were several short, black hairs, and there was only one monster that left them behind like that. "A Gore Magala…"

Icharias nodded and I noted that it was heading to the same direction we were. "I don't think we can keep ourselves hidden much longer. Not with that Elder at least. Do you think you can reason with it?"

I rubbed the back of my head as the girl looked between us with confusion written all over her face. "If it is who I think it is, maybe. But I don't know how an Elder will react to an Inferior having the same sentience as them. I can try, but be ready for anything."

He nodded, but as we were about to move, the girl pulled on my arm. We looked at her, and she had a look of fear as she pointed away from where the dragon had went. I moved closer to her and smiled. "Don't worry, we'll handle it. You'll be safe with us until we find somewhere you can live happily, I promise."

She seemed reluctant, but she didn't have too many options anyway. She nodded and we kept walking. "What's your name?" I asked.

The girl shook her head and pointed at her throat while she make a hoarse noise. What was she- Oh, she's mute. "Oh, I get it. So, um, I… um…" I whispered. "Icharias, a little help?"

He chuckled. "Maybe later, Midnight. We're almost there."

Indeed, in front of us, the forest began to open and the ruins of a town showed themselves. The town had been demolished a time ago, as there was no smoke. There was also a lack of an enormous Elder, and that made me more worried than I already was.

And while the sight of the destroyed town was saddening, we couldn't stop now. If we didn't get that Dalamadur back soon, our world would be in danger.

* * *

 **A.N.: new arrivals on Remnant and this time with a mission. And the actions of the Guild start having consequences. Meanwhile, Dalamadur takes the first steps on showing Gore the secrets he kept.**

 **Now, Midnight and the story around her was created by Knightwolf1875, I just added a few details like weapons and the name of the hunter. So credit to this guy.**

 **You still get to chose how Gorey will look like when transformed. I edited the last chapter for you to get a look at the image.**

 **Reviews!**

 **Raraiki: I agree. Paperwork is just as evil as Salem! And I'll try to make it as enjoyable as possible.**

 **proiu: yes, and they have a lot of work to do. Sorry if this chapter was more on the exposing side. And thank you.**

 **Sigmar: fixed! This page cuts the links unless you change the spaces. Thanks for bringing it to my notice.**

 **RabidArmenian: they hate each other, but they come from the same world, so some things may be more alike in some things than they may like. And yes, paperwork will** _ **buuuuuurn!**_ **I'll give a look at those songs when I have some time. And don't keep this gag running or I may make it real~ (I just can't keep imagining a tsundere Lunastra. Hehehehe). And see ya!**

 **Deathangles14: thanks for the counter! And yes, she will have to deal with her views being shattered. And nope, I'm not planning on nerfing the big snek, at least for now.**

 **Knightwolf1875: I hope you liked the introduction of your character. The next chapter will have more of her, I assure you.**

 **Artyom-Dreizehn: I won't nerf him. I like your comparison though. It's more or less like that: weight, height and physics of a human, but resistance, strength and powers from his usual form.**

 **Aurasonic: if it wasn't obvious with this chapter, yes, Gore will get the powers of the Life Essence. And thank you!**

 **Guest: thanks.**

 **Neb(x2): it was funny. And I will keep my comments on your second paragraph to keep this free from spoilers, but I will tell you that you are correct on some names, I won't say who, though. I can yell you that I don't plan on unlocking his Aura. Gorey needed it, but I don't think Dala does. And she has** _ **some**_ **sight on that eye, but not perfect. And yes, I think you may be right on that statement. Yes, they have recognized each other and they** _ **will**_ **talk, and I have an idea on how to do it. Raven will feature, but in the future.**

 **Guest: I do, my friend, I really do. ;)**

 **Zak44803(x2): this chapter explains a bit my idea on this chapter. There will be more Inferiors featuring in the future. I'll see how I manage, but I don't disfavor the idea completely.**

 **possible Gigan: WE WILL TAKE** **THE TERRITORIES THIS SEASON! DEUS VULT, DEUS VULT, DEUS VULT! Also, fuck Tiandi and all the rest of his fellow fuckbois.**

 **Lechain: oh, I wish that were possible.**

 **Darkjaden: thank you. I try my best at expressing the feelings of my characters.**

 **No omake this time. One of you sent me a very funny idea, so** _ **when**_ **I write (I will, I promise… someday in the future) you will be credited. Afterwards, I will start a series of omakes that I think will help the story. You'll see what I'm talking about.**

 **Sorry if I seem a bit off. It's 1 in the morning and I have an interview tomorrow, but I have to post this chapter.**

 **I hope you enjoyed!**

 **Have a great day!**


	14. Chapter 12: Confrontation

**A.N.: hello there! This chapter is far longer than I intended. It has happened recently with the last couple of them. Not that I mind if I manage to get it on time, but I want them to be shorter than this. The problem is that I start writing and I can't stop, and honestly, I like it better than having my mind go blank.**

 **Nothing else to say for now. Enjoy!**

* * *

 **Black Dragon, White Rose**

 **Chapter 12**

 **Confrontation**

 **/ Gore P.O.V. /**

After Dalamadur explained the Life Essence to me, I agreed to tell him where the cave I woke up was. I wasn't _too_ excited to transform into a human, but I didn't see any reason not to do so. It would help me in this world and seeing Remnant from a human's perspective, or at least, from their size, was somewhat appealing.

And I didn't care that Ruby would have 'less dragon to snuggle'! I would do what I wanted. Though I did have to depart before Ruby could use her signature puppy eyes. I wasn't going to risk it, those eyes are the perfect combination between cute and evil!

So Summer, Dalamadur – or Daur, as he called himself in this form – and me left for the cave. Ozpin had left to go back to Beacon, followed by the hunter. Summer's husband had left to do some preparations alongside bird man. I was a little worried about leaving my sister behind, but she had grown fond of the two little girls, even letting Ruby's sister braid her hair in human form.

Seeing her enjoy herself and laugh with the two sent a warm sensation through my soul. It had been a very long time since I had seen her laugh like that. Dalamadur told me that using the Essence on her may have helped my sister with the pain. It wouldn't cure her, but she was far happier than I had ever seen since she failed her Ascendance.

It took us less time to get there than when Summer and I left the cave. Ozpin had provided Summer with the routes of the machines humans used to fly, and we were able to stay away from them while also saving time. Summer was as hyper as ever on my back and Dalamadur, while more contained, was also enjoying the trip.

My curiosity was peaked when we were nearing the ruins close to the cave. My hairs picked up three humans making their way to the town. One was just as small as Ruby's sister, the other had a tail, so I guess that one was a Faunus. But the last one worried me. Their armor felt very similar to those from my world. I wasn't going to jump into conclusions, but it had left me worried when I dropped Summer and Dalamdur on the cave.

"[I will go down to the village while you get everything you need]" I was glad I could use my link while talking, so I didn't have to repeat myself to any of them. "[I have felt a few humans heading here and one looks like a hunter. I want to make sure they aren't here for any of us.]"

Summer nodded while taking down the pouches she had made carry for the crystals. "Fine, but try to be reasonable. If you can't get them to calm down, come here and pick me up. I'll lend you a hand, whether to fight or to talk."

I smiled while they headed inside the cave. Jumping backwards, I let myself fall for a while before extending my wings and heading for the town. I had stopped feeling their presence, but as I flew closer, my feelers detected something that made me worry: an Inferior. It was the one humans called Nargacuga: fast, deadly and quite clever for an Inferior.

Normally, I would just feel tired. If I encountered one of them back in my world, I would have to threaten them until they left. Boring, but easy enough to do. However, with the deal I had with Ozpin, I couldn't let a dangerous Inferior roam around. It might decide to start preying on humans.

So I decided that I would capture it and then tell Ozpin through the link. I agreed to help him with the Elders and Inferiors that came from my world, and I intend on keeping my word. As I neared the village, I could feel the Inferior moving around the village, as if looking for something, though it stopped when it saw me approach.

It took a couple of steps back as I landed close to it. I could see that it was nervous, afraid even, but it seemed calmer than the other Inferiors that faced me before. Even with the enormous difference in size, it kept its ground, though it didn't make any aggressive moves. I didn't know if it was male of female, but I couldn't care less. I did feel two of the other humans close by, though I don't think they would be harmed if we fought at the distance they were.

Why wasn't it attacking or running, though? Did it thought this was its territory? Ugh, that meant it was going to fight. How annoying. I sighed. "[Let's just get this over with.]"

I took a step forward but a voice stopped me. "[Wait! I just want to talk!]"

It took me a moment to realize that the clearly female voice was coming from the Nargacuga. An Inferior. Had just talked. In the language of the Elders.

…

Had I eaten something poisoned? Maybe some of the animals I hunted had eaten some of those weird mushrooms. Did they even grow in this world? Ugh, I just don't care anymore. I wanted blink, even if I couldn't.

"[Did you just… talk?]" I asked, while trying to figure out myself if I was hallucinating.

The Nargacuga nodded meekly. "[Yeah, I did. I know this must be weird but-]"

At that word, something just snapped in me. "[Weird? _Weird_?! That doesn't even get close to what has happened to me in the last _week_! I get sent to another world, make friends with a human, unlock strange powers and now there are crystals that transform us into humans and an Inferior is talking to me!]" I breathed out, trying to calm myself as the Nargacuga stepped backwards at my outburst. I needed to get that out, even if just for a moment. "[I don't know if we go somewhere after we pass away, but if my brother is watching me right now, I'm sure he is laughing himself to the point he would die if he wasn't already dead.]"

"[Ummmm…]" The Inferior was looking at me as if I was mad. Truth be told, I couldn't blame her.

I breathed deeply. "[Just… what do you want?]"

That seemed to snap her back to attention. "[Oh! Um, right. I was actually hoping you could help me. We- I mean, _I_ am searching for another Elder that was sent to this world.]"

That made me suspicious. The only other three Elders here with me were my sister, Dalamadur and that Lunastra. "[Who?]"

"[Well, I don't suppose you have seen a mountain-sized snake that can spit fire and meteorites, right?]" She asked.

So she was after Dalamadur. And I intended to find out why. "[You are searching for Dalamadur.]" She nodded. "[Let's say I know where he is. Why do you want to find him?]" I moved a step closer and inched my back upwards, trying to look more intimidating.

She gulped. "[I assure you, I don't want to hurt him.]" Heh. If she though she could even scratch him, she was sorely mistaken. Nevertheless, she was holding herself quite well, even when I tried to scare her. "[An old friend of his wanted my help to bring him back to our world.]"

I didn't know of any 'old friends' of Dalamadur, but he said there were six other Elders that knew about the Essence. She might be referring to one of them. Luckily, I could confirm it. "[And who is this _'friend'_ that sent you here?]"

"[A Kirin.]" She answered.

I nodded. _'Summer, listen carefully.'_ I could feel her stop and comply from the other end of the link. _'Tell Dalamadur that I have an Inferior here that claims to know a friend of his. She says it's a Kirin and that she is here to take him back to our world.'_

There were a few seconds of silence as we both stood there. Suddenly, he gagged and looked around. "[Ugh. That smell.]"

It didn't take me long to realize what she was talking about. "[Ah, I guess I never really finished her, didn't I?]" The Inferior looked at me in confusion and I made a gesture to follow.

We ended up in what remained of the corpse of the woman that I had killed when I met Summer. The Nargacuga was clearly displeased. "[What happened?]"

I moved closer to the rotting remains. "[She tried to kill me and paid the price.]" I raised my wingarm and crushed her remains in the ground in a second. I nodded. "[There. That should do it.]"

The Inferior shook her head. "[That wasn't necessary! Just because she was human doesn't mean you get to kill her because she inconvenienced you, much less stomp her remains to the ground! I doubt she could even harm you!]" What a curious reaction. Normally, no Elder would bat an eye, and I doubt any inferior would either. As this was happening, I noticed that the two humans had moved closer, though the Faunus one had disappeared. Where did she go? "[You can't just go around killing humans simply because you don't like them! If I didn't know there are exceptions, I could swear that you Elders are all the same.]"

I guess she was prepared for many things, but not for me to start laughing. "[Listen, I don't blame you. Most Elders _are_ like this. But you don't know anything about this world, because if you knew, you'd be thanking me for killing this human.]"

Suddenly, Summer's voice came through my link. _'Daur asks that if that inferior is a Narc- Narga-'_

' _Nargacuga.'_ I finished for her.

' _Yeah! He says it might be possible.'_ Said Summer. _'Though he also says that it couldn't have gotten here on its own. According to him, your kind can't use the Essence to move between worlds unless it's with the help of someone with Silver Eyes.'_

I thanked Summer and focused my senses on the other two humans. Now that I concentrated, one of them was clearly wearing a hunter's armor. _'Oh! He's also told me that she should be able to transform. Something about eating the crystals when she was a baby. Wait. Can you really digest minerals like that?'_ That last part was clearly directed at Dalamadur, but that information may explain where the Faunus had gone.

She was standing in front of me, with a displeased expression, in her real form. "[Did you even listened to what I just said?]"

I shook my head. I had no shame in admitting that I had blocker her voice out. "[No, but it doesn't matter.]" I stretched, readying myself in case this turned violent. "[I know you've been lying to me. In several ways, actually.]" I noticed she had tensed up, proving to me that I had caught her. "[First: you aren't here alone. No Elder or Inferior can use the Essence to jump from world to world. You needed someone with Silver Eyes.]"

Her own widened and she muttered. "[How do you…]"

I paid it no mind and continued. "[Second: I can sense your hunter friend and that child close by, so you are _definitely_ not alone. And finally, I know he is your friend because you were standing beside him when I flew over. Only, you were transformed, were you not?]"

She glared at me. "[And what if he is my friend? Are you going to kill him too?]"

"[That depends.]" I answered. "[I would like to believe what you said about taking Dalamadur home, but you have lied about everything else until now.]" She growled under her breath and I twisted my head to the side. "[Were you supposed to keep this mission secret?]"

She sighed. "[No. But other Elders aren't supposed to know about the Essence.]"

That made me snort. "[Yeah, and Inferiors aren't supposed to be able to have sentient thought, yet here you are. In any case, I can't trust you.]" She didn't seem like she was bad, but appearances can be deceiving. "[And I made a deal with one of the humans of this world: he would let my sister and I stay here as long as we kept Remnant safe from other Elders and Inferiors coming from our world. Tell your friends to come out and we won't have to fight.]"

She shook her head. "[I can't trust you either! You just said you killed someone and then crushed their corpse. How can I tell that you aren't going to do the same with them?! And what tells me that this human friend of yours isn't just as bad as the ones that were harming that girl?!]"

That statement would have made me glare at her if I could. "[Watch your words, _Inferior_.]" I didn't care the tone that my voice carried. She doesn't get to say that about my friends in front of me. "[Or your next ones might be your last.]"

She growled and I was on the verge of doing the same. Summer and Dalamadur were going to take some time in taking the Essence, so I was on my own. Not that I was worried. In fact, with them out of the way, I didn't have to worry about collateral damage. Still, I tried to talk one last time. "[Tell your friends to come out. If you are telling the truth, nothing will happen to them or you. Besides, while I wouldn't mind a good fight, you can't beat me.]"

I saw her scoff and roll her eyes. "[You just think you are invincible, like the rest of the Elders. All high and mighty, until someone beats some sense into you. You may have been the Dark Ruler of the Steppes back home, but without being a Shagaru, you're just boasting. You're not even an adult by your species standards, by the Ancients!]"

"[I'm not boasting, I'm just…]" I sighed. "[Listen, are you going to do as I say or not?]"

She smiled. "[And risk my friend and that girl getting killed? Yeah, _no_.]"

We were getting nowhere like this, but I had an idea. "[How about this? If you defeat me in a fight, I'll tell you where Dalamadur is.]" _Closer than she thinks, honestly_. "[But if I win, you and the other two will come with me without causing trouble until Ozpin decides what to do with you]"

She thought about if for a second, and I took the time to speak with Summer. _'I'm going to deal with this Inferior, so don't worry if I take a bit longer in picking you up.'_

I could almost hear the sigh from the other side. _'Gore, what did you do?'_

What?! I didn't do anything! Why would she assume that?! _'Nothing, I swear! She lied to me and I'm not letting someone I don't trust close to you both. So we decided to settle this as all Elders do.'_

There was a moment of silence before she answered. Her tone clearly showed that she was not impressed. _'By fighting?'_

' _By fighting.'_

I could feel the slap she gave herself as she brought her hand to her head. _'Gods, you're like Rae when we entered Beacon. Just… don't lose control like the last time, alright? I won't be there to stop you.'_

' _I'll try.'_ I didn't think I would need to use my Virus in that way, but if she turned out to be stronger than I thought, I would use it.

"[Hey!]" The Nargacuga shouted and I looked at her. "[Stop spacing out. Weren't you the one that wanted to fight?]"

I nodded and prepared myself. She wasn't afraid anymore, and she looked confident. Not overly so, like the Lunastra, but she really thought that she had a chance to beat me. Usually, I wouldn't be worried, but this Inferior was a special case, so I needed to be careful.

"[Lets not waste anymore time.]" I said, followed by a loud roar. It wouldn't affect her much, but I wanted to see how she reacted.

 **(Play: RE: Monster Hunter Freedom Unite - Nargacuga Theme** **【** **Intense Symphonic Metal Cover** **】** **by FalKKonE)**

And react she did, charging at me faster than I expected. It was clear that she wasn't a normal Inferior, so I decided to stay defensive and see how she fought. Before reaching me, she jumped and brought down her claw at my face. I dodged to the side and tried to do the same as she landed. She used the side of one of her wings to swap it away and follow by trying to stab her tail in my neck.

I twisted my head and bit the tail. Taking the chance and ignoring the pain the spikes left in my mouth, I turned around and threw her away. She crashed into a building on the other side of the street and got up quickly. I charged at her and she tried to hit me by throwing the spikes on her tail. I saw this coming and jumped with the help of my Aura, rising up in the sky and trying to land on her.

She was surprised by the strength of the jump, but managed to move away at the last second, making the rest of the building fall on me. As she tried to search through the rubble and dust, I jumped again at her, though this time I aimed in front of her rather than on her body. With the strength of my Aura, I brought my wingarms down and cracked the floor under them, creating a shockwave and hitting her as the floor broke upwards under her.

She recovered quickly before I tried to smash her head on the ground. She grabbed onto my wing and climbed to my back, where she started biting and clawing. She was surprised when her attacks were met with a field protecting my body, and I took the opportunity by crushing her onto another building. She remained on, though, and she was holding my wingarms on place to impede their use. Luckily, I could still grab her own arms and hold her in place before standing in my hind legs and falling backwards, smashing her between me and the floor.

I rolled over and dusted off as she recovered. She stood up and I saw her eyes turn completely red, leaving a trail behind them. "[Oh, it's on!]" I must admit that I was enjoying the fight. I may not like them as much as my brother did, but I wouldn't say no to a good way of stretching and improving.

She was glaring at me as we circled each other. We stopped and she moved first, even faster than before. Any younger Elder would have had trouble fighting her, but while she was faster than me, my feelers caught every movement she made, and from there it was just a matter of reacting on time and accordingly.

She dashed from side to side until she reached my right side and attacked. I turned to the side and tackled her. Even if she managed to land the attack, I now had her pinned close to me, in a fight that relied on strength rather than speed or ability. As she tried to shake my hold off, I used my wingarms to claw at her. She was quick to notice the disadvantage, however, and used her tail to hit me on the face making me reel back and release her.

While I recovered, she readied the spikes on her tail again. "[I also have some tricks up my sleeve, Elder!]" Her spikes flew at me, but what I didn't expect was for them to be coated in fire. I used my wings to block them. How did she manage to do that?! Was it the Essence? This Inferior was truly special, but I wasn't going to give up. Her fighting style was based on quick attacks to the weak points, with even quicker retreats and the use of her spikes to keep pressure.

Now that I knew that, it was time to go on the offensive.

She launched another volley, this one covered in poison, which raised more questions. I jumped over it and remained on the air. Before she could attack again, I launched a ball of my Virus at her. Knowing what it did, she was forced to dodge, giving me time to fire another, this one a bit off on purpose. While the ball went to her right, she dodged left and I was already descending on where she was dodging to.

She reacted fast, but I was able to hit one of her wings heavily. I turned around and faced her. She had the wing I had just hit dripping with blood, and she was limping on it. And while I was in better state, she had managed to down almost all my Aura. Her attacks weren't too heavy, but they were precise. I stepped forward. "[I told you I wasn't boasting. Give up.]"

She smiled. "[In your dreams, Elder. Now!]"

The hunter jumped from the building behind me in a surprise attack. What a shame that I had already saw him move while we fought. The girl was safe, away from the fight, so I didn't have to care about harming her. Just before he landed the attack on my back, my wingarms shot up and grabbed him, throwing him forward, close to the Nargacuga. And honestly, I wasn't surprised when I noticed the same silver light that Summer had coming from his eyes and soul. Even the weapon shined like them.

The hunter got up quick and stood by her side, weapon ready. The Nargacuga spoke, though she did it in human language, something that _did_ take me by surprise. "Is the girl safe?"

The hunter nodded once without taking his eyes of me. Meanwhile, I was pondering on the situation: now there was a hunter on her side, with a weapon made out of the Essence and Silver Eyes. If he was experienced, I might have been in trouble. I needed an advantage, but what exactly? The girl? No, that would be going against what I had been working for. Then what-

My feelers sensed a figure darting at top steed towards us, a very familiar one. I smiled. I just needed to hold out a bit longer. My attention was brought back to my opponents when she spoke. "[Give up and tell us where Dalamadur is. We outnumber you and Icharias can kick your butt ten times over.]"

"[Really, now?]" I asked in a mocking tone. Just a few more seconds. "[I only see a lost Inferior with a hunter that can barely lift his own sword. If you want to know where Dalamadur is so badly, then the deal is still up.]"

As I talked, I backed slowly towards a tall building, one of the few that still had the roof relatively intact. They followed, keeping the distance between us. I felt the figure climb up the building behind me, reaching the rooftop quickly. "[That is, unless you want to give up now.]" I wasn't usually this cocky, but I needed to taunt them into attacking. "[Or is the little Inferior too hurt to continue?]"

I heard her growl. Success. "[Shut up!]"

The hunter told her to wait but she was already charging at me. I made no move whatsoever as she came closer. I didn't like insulting others, unless they deserve it, but I also wasn't going to let them close to my friends without making sure they didn't want to hurt them. And if the way of doing that was through a fight, then so be it. I had already lost my sister and friend once, I wasn't going to lose them again.

She was almost upon me and I gave the signal. _'Now, Summer!'_

Just as the Nargacuga jumped, Summer did the same over the roof behind me and, with her Semblance, teleported right above the Inferior's head, shooting her weapon down on her. It didn't harm her, but the power behind the shot made her miss the jump and I grabbed her neck with my wingarm just as Summer landed.

The Nargacuga tried to break free from my grasp, but before she could, I smashed her on the ground and dragged her down, breaking the floor as she grunted. Finally, I threw her back to the hunter, forcing him to dodge his partner. The Inferior rolled a couple of times on the ground before regaining her balance. The hunter went to her side and the two of them stared at us.

 **(End song)**

"[You are not the only one that has brought a friend here.]" I said, as Summer readied her two swords. _'Where is Dalamadur?'_

' _He brought me down from the cave shortly after we spoke. He is still gathering the minerals.'_ She sent me a small glare. _'You're welcome, by the way.'_

I shook my head with a small chuckle. _'Right, sorry. Thank you.'_ The other two stood up and we faced each other. _'I have the feeling that the hunter has never faced another human. They have it forbidden to raise a weapon against their own kind. Let me take care of the Nargacuga while you deal with him, okay?'_

"Let me try talking first." She lowered her weapons and walked forwards. "Okay… um…" She cleared her throat. "Gore has told me that you are looking for his friend. If you stand down, we can talk about this."

The Nargacuga turned to me and deadpanned. "['Gore'? Seriously?]"

"[Hey! If you heard the names she was giving me, you would have done the same!]" Everyone would, in all honestly. It still annoys me that she was joking with me.

The hunter didn't lower his sword, though. "That would have been possible before he attacked my friend." His tone was calm, as if he wasn't fazed by the situation. He was definitely experienced. "Listen, ma'am, I don't want to harm you. Elder, tell us where Dalamadur is and we will leave. That's it, no strings attached."

Summer looked at him. "What do you want with him, anyways?"

"We need him to return- wait, you know about Dalamadur?" Asked the hunter. "Okay, that make things easier. Please, tell us where he is. Leaving him in this world might be dangerous."

My friend raised an eyebrow. "I'm standing beside a dragon that can deal with an army of Grimm. _I_ can deal with an army of Grimm, so danger isn't anything new in this world. Plus, that decision doesn't depend on you."

The Nargacuga shook her head. "He must return for the sake of everyone back there! Tell us where he is!'

"[And if we don't want to? What are you going to do? Run like every other Inferior does?]" She wanted so badly to take him, then they are going to have to get through us.

She growled and the hunter sighed. "Press on the right spot…"

"And they'll lose all sense of control." Finished Summer, making the hunter look at her as she pointed a thumb at me. "Tell me about it."

' _Hey! When did I- oh, right, the Lunastra.'_ I shrugged. _'Meh, I won't deny that most of us have quite the bad temper.'_

With a shake of her head, Summer readied her weapons. The first to attack was the Inferior, but she _somehow_ ignited her claws on fire before charging. The hunter didn't seem to be surprised by the skills of his partner, and by the way they talked with each other, they seem to be companions, just as Summer and I. Interesting. I hadn't heard about something like that back in my world, but I suppose I couldn't have known everything. And so, we were in for round two.

 **(Play: Pentakill - Mortal Reminder [OFFICIAL AUDIO] | League of Legends Music)**

As the Inferior charged at me, Summer dashed forward to meet the hunter. I focused on my own fight as I jumped backwards, dodging the strike and the flames that spread for a moment after she hit the ground. I responded by firing my Virus at her. She dashed to the side and gave me one last look before running between buildings and out of my sight. I knew what she was planning, but I couldn't let her escape.

I turned to Summer just as the hunter tried to slash at her. Summer easily dodged the heavy strike. "Ma'am, please, I don't want to-" His words were cut off as Summer, with the help of her Aura, used her knee to kick him in his... yeah, you get the idea. Normally, armor like that would have protected him, but with Aura in the mix, it did nothing for him. I winced a bit as he let his greatsword down and fell to the ground with a whimper. " _Why_ …"

She turned to me. "Go chase her. I've got this." I turned around, but managed to hear Summer talk. "C'mon, I didn't hit you _that_ hard… did I?"

I walked for a bit searching for the Nargacuga. There were some buildings and small streets that my feelers didn't have covered, so I was half blind on that part. It was at moments like this that I liked my link to Summer. I looked around, waiting for the obvious ambush, but it never came.

As I walked between two buildings, my feelers finally found her, albeit too late. She was on the alley parallel to mine, and she had used all her strength to make the building between us crumble over me. I tried to move away but I didn't have enough space nor time to react. It was _painful_ , and I could feel my aura give out, though I still had my own strength to fight. However, I wasn't happy.

Not. A. Single. Bit.

I pushed all the ruble away as I roared and focused on the Nargacuga. She wanted me angry? Congratulations, she managed it! I extended my feelers and moved my wingarms to the ground. It wasn't as bad as with the Lunastra, but I was starting to not like her. With another roar, the skies darkened and I launched myself at her.

Dodging my attack to the left, she tried to jump at my neck. Unluckily for her, my wingarms grabbed her before she could reach me and slammed her onto the ground. She broke free and used her claws, still with fire on them, to attack my face. I blocked the attacks before charging at her. She didn't expect me to just charge through her slashes, so I managed to drag her until she collided with the remains of another building.

By this point, she was bleeding from several wounds on her body and she was getting tired. She got up, panting, and growled. In one last attempt, she tried to reach for my back once again, but even if she managed to land a few cuts, my scales blocked them and I pulled her off. Before she could recover again, however, I grabbed her with my claws and flew upwards, gaining height as she struggled to break free.

After I while, I was happy at how much we had ascended, and without warning, I plummeted down, with her in front of me. She deduced what I was trying to do and ignited her whole body in flames, even trying to hit me in my wings and face with some of them. Her powers kept raising more questions but, even if my claws were starting to hurt due to the fire, I couldn't stop now.

I held tighter as we reached the ground. The impact cracked the ground around us and made the ruins in the surrounding area shake and fall. As the dust settled, I was standing while she tried to move any part of her body. She was determined, I gave her that much. I picked her by the neck and she barely resisted apart for a few grunts. I think I had broken her right wing. Alongside many other bones in her body.

 **(End song)**

Meh, nothing that a couple of days of sleeping and eating couldn't solve. Our regeneration was quite useful.

"Hya!" I looked up just in time to see the hunter fly to the center of the street followed by his weapon. Summer appeared soon after, walking without a care in the world. As the hunter trues to reach for his weapon, Summer turned hers into her scythe form and pointed it at his neck. "I'm not going to kill you," said Summer, "but I suppose you don't want a repeat from my first kick, now do you?"

He stilled for a moment before a familiar voice reached dour ears. "That is enough, all of you." I turned to see Dalamadur standing there, dragging the giant pouches filled with crystals in one hand and the other… "You are scaring the child."

I was so focused on the fight that I hadn't noticed the two approach. While Dalamadur looked fine, even with all the weight he was carrying, the child was a complete mess. Dirty, with wounds and it wasn't hard to notice how frail she looked. She must not have had a meal in days! I did notice that, even with her small size, she was older than Ruby's sister. Not by much, but definitely a couple of years.

"Oh my gods!" Screamed Summer, quickly retracting her weapon and stepping away from the hunter. "Is she alright? What happened to her?"

Dalamadur shook his head. "I do not know. She either doesn't want to talk, or simply can't. I found her hiding around the ruins of the town as I made my way here." He looked at the girl, who had her eyes glued to me with a terrified expression. "It was a little bit difficult to convince her to accompany me, but after you two destroyed some buildings, she agreed that she would be safer with me."

Summer nodded and crouched in front of the girl, who finally took her eyes off me. "Hello, sweetheart. I'm Summer." Her voice was sweet, as if she was talking to one of her daughters. "Can you tell me how you reached this place?"

She nodded and pointed to the hunter, who was picking his weapon. Noticing the looks on him, he answered. "We found her running from a couple of guys back in the forest. When we confronted them, I discovered that they were dealing with human trafficking. I managed to make one of them tell me where they were keeping the rest of them before they died." He shook his head. "And no, I didn't kill them. Believe it or not, _she_ " he pointed at the girl, though he didn't sound angry, "used one of the blades of my partner to kill one of them. The other was hunted by these black beasts you have running around."

Summer looked back at the girl, who didn't deny the facts. Instead of being angry at her, she ruffled her hair and smiled. "It's okay." She rose and turned to the hunter, this time, with a tone that made every bone in my body shiver. " _Where_?"

Before he could answer, Dalamadur intervened. "Summer, dear, I believe we have more pressing matters to attend to." He pointed at the sack filled with Life Essence and at me.

When she turned to me, she sighed and rubbed her temples. "Gore, please, put her down. _Slowly_."

Oh, right, I still had the Inferior in my wingarm, right? I rolled my head, retracting my feelers and making the skies clear again as I gently dropped her down. She got up, with a lot of effort, before glaring at me. "[Jerk.]"

I shrugged. "[You were the one that accepted the deal. Oh, and I win.]" I said with a smile.

She glared even harder and grumbled something I couldn't quite hear. She turned around and started transforming. There was a bright light coming from her form as it slowly changed. I had to turn my head away to not be blinded by the light, but it wasn't as bad as when I was transported here. Having normal vision can be a pain for moments like this. When the light faded and I looked back, there stood the last of the three humans I had noticed: she had a black tail at the end of her back, and she was covered in a dress that seemed to be made of her scales.

I could very much think she was a Faunus, if I hadn't just fought her and saw her transform. " _Ejem_." I looked at Dalamadur as she pointed at the child. Now that I thought about it, she shouldn't know about the transformation. Only she did, because she just saw it, and her expression detailed with clear exactitude how she felt:

0_0

The Nargacuga rubbed the back of her head. "Hehehe. Oops?" Now all eyes, and in my case, feelers, were focused on her. "You can't blame me! I'm not used to people around not knowing about my powers! My entire village knew so I'm not used to watch out in case someone looks!"

Dalamadur sighed and Summer giggled. "In any case, if we want to deal with those kidnappers, I must first give the Life Essence to Gore." Said Dalamdur. "It might help us if we have to be a little bit more… inconspicuous. Summer, I assume you can take care of the child while not engaging in any other fights with our new guests."

Summer nodded and made a salute. "Yes, sir! In fact, I think… um…" She looked at the Inferior, who was being helped by her partner.

"Midnight." She answered the unspoken question.

"Right. I think Midnight will need first aid until we get her into a hospital because _someone_ couldn't hold themselves during the fight." She said, as she glared at me.

' _Hey, you told me not to kill her and she's still alive!'_ I wasn't going to just let her win a fight because I had to hold myself!

"But she could have gone without the broken bones!" She threw her arms in the air. "Whatever! Next time, could you _please_ just show a little restrain?"

I smiled and made it looks as if I was thinking. _'Hmmm… nah.'_ Summer pouted at me until Dalamadur handed her the girl and gestured me to follow. _'Oh, and don't worry about her wounds. Her natural regeneration should have them fixed in a couple of days.'_

As we made some distance from the rest, my friend spoke to me. "What we are going to do must be kept secret at all cost. Though, by the looks of it, this world has some sort of magical mechanism to just shout every secret to the wind." He said in an annoyed tone, accompanied by a tired sigh. "Nevertheless, as my apprentice, I have to ask you to refrain from telling this to anyone."

That left me confused. "[I understand the secrecy, but 'apprentice'?]"

He nodded. "Indeed. Did you really think every other of the Seven is one of the _original_ Seven? Only three of us belong to the original group. The other four either passed away after instructing an apprentice or casted their duties aside, forcing the rest to choose a worthy Elder for the position."

"[Wait,]" I said, still confused, "[if I am your apprentice, as you say, what does that make my sister?]" She was able to transform, even if she didn't know everything behind it.

He waved his hand around. "An exception created by the circumstances. There had been other similar cases, but with her being here, I don't think there will be a problem."

"[One last question.]" He nodded patently. "[Do I have to call you 'master'? Because I don't think I will feel comfortable calling a friend that.]"

He chuckled. "Even if you are clearly different, you still hold a part of that pride that all Elders possess." He shook his head with a smile. "No, you won't need to. Others would have been stricter, but, while I will be teaching you about being human and the Essence, the rest is yours to figure out."

I nodded and we kept walking until we were away from the group. He stepped in front of me and spoke. "Now, there are two ways for the Life Essence to merge with your body: you can eat it, which is the more… tedious and ineffective way of doing it, basically for the pain that will make your stomach go through." I grimaced at that. If there was another way, I would take it. I didn't want to chew on a mineral to have an ache for the rest of the day, thank you very much. "Or you can have someone perform a ritual that will merge the Life Essence with your body. This is the quickest and painless way, though it necessitates of someone that knows how to perform the ritual. Luckily for you, I know its intricacies. Please, hand me the Essence."

The pouches were the size of a human they were still full to the brim. "[Do we really need that much?]"

He shook his head as he pulled out several crystals. "No, the amount required is nothing this excessive. But I needed to make sure they didn't fall in the wrong hands." He smiled as he pulled the last crystal. "Furthermore, we are going to need some of them for your weapon, and a new one for me, of course, seeing as how I left my old one at home." I was about to ask but he cut me off. "And no, I won't tell you what it was. Consider it my small secret."

I turned my head to the side. "[But didn't you said that only Silver Eyed warriors could wield them?]"

"I said that only they could move between worlds, not that we couldn't wield a weapon made of the Essence." He piled the mineral in front of me. "We can wield a weapon made of it with the same results than a human with Silver Eyes, only we aren't capable of traversing through worlds."

He finished moving the mineral and gestured me to sit in front of him, as he stood with the mineral between us. He then kneeled and placed a hand on it, telling me to do the same. "Remember what I told you back at Patch: the first thing you need to do is transform for the Life Essence to flow completely free through your body. Clear your mind, focus on the sensation of the Essence flowing through you and picture the figure of a human in your mind. No one specific, but since your species lacks gender, you will need to be clear whether it is a male or a female, just like your sister."

I nodded and placed my claw on the pile. "Good. Let us begin." And with that, I cut my link with Summer and focused only on what Dalamadur did. At first, there was only silence, accompanied by the sounds of nature and wind. Suddenly, the crystals started shining, as I could see them without Summer's eyes, and I felt how, slowly but steadily, they started pouring all their energy into me.

I had to hold a grunt of pain at first, but as the energy flowed inside, it stopped hurting and I could concentrate on what he had said. The light from the crystals started to dim slowly but I was focused on keeping my mind clear and only picturing that human form on my head. Time passed and I almost panicked when I stopped receiving information from my feelers for a second. It was all completely black, but I could feel my body twist and change.

At first, there were small and unnoticeable changes, but they increased and became faster as the seconds passed. It didn't hurt as much as I expected, but it was tiring. I could almost feel myself losing consciousness for a moment, but it passed. And for what felt like hours, hough in reality were only a few seconds, I could sense every part of my body, from the inside to the outside, turn into something different and smaller, but not less powerful than my normal form, simply more… contained, for a lack of a better word.

When it stopped and I regained my senses, I wasn't sure it had worked. That is until I felt Dalamadur stretching his hand to help me up. "The first time is always tiring. But fret not, it'll become easier with time."

I extended my claw to him, only to notice that now it was the same size as his and had the form of a human hand. Still, after examining it a bit, I took his and he helped me up on two feet.

…

Wait, two?!

I looked down and, while my feet hadn't changed much, the rest of my body had. It looked almost as if I was wearing one of the armors the hunters crafted: it was a very dark shade of purple with brilliant lines of the same color through my entire body. My feet had three claws pointing forward and one backward. My entire body felt strange, yet familiar. Looking behind me, I noticed that my wings were still there, only changed in size (thank the Ancients for small miracles!) and having far more hairs than usual, making them looks as if I was wearing a black cape of sorts. Even still, it wasn't too obvious that I was leaving a trail of hairs behind, looking more like a mist of purple smoke.

I tried moving my wingarms and they responded well, without problem. I even noticed that my tail was still there, concealed by the long cape that my wings formed when I left them on my back. But the moment I tried taking a step forwards, I failed miserably at coordinating. I would have smashed against the floor if it wasn't for Dalamadur. "Be careful, it will take you a few hours to manage your balance. Use your tail to help yourself, and your wingarms if you can."

I nodded and tried taking another step, trying to imitate how Summer and the other humans did it. I was still trying to hold my balance like an idiot, but in the end, I simply extended my wingarms and used them as a way to keep myself up. It was still hard but I managed to not fall thanks to them.

Meanwhile, Dalamadur nodded and kept by my side as we moved. "Good. Keep going." He moved ahead of me and grabbed a crystal from a ruin nearby. "I assume you want to take a good look at your face."

He moved the crystal in front of me and I was surprised. My face was similar to my original one, yet different. It had two purple, horizontal lines that resembled the visor from a helmet, just right below my feelers, which were folded backwards as in my normal form, though this time, they extended a bit beyond the back of my head. No sight of ears or nose, but that didn't surprise me, seeing as how it was very difficult to spot them even in my Elder form. I could still breathe and hear, so they were still there.

Below my eyes and at the bottom of my 'face', was something that resembled my normal mouth, but it didn't look like it could open. Nevertheless, I focused on it and, surprisingly, it did open, letting me have a good look inside my own mouth. I had my usual teeth, but behind them I could see the lips and teeth of a human. Moving my tongue around, I could even feel them too.

This was soooo weird! But at least now I knew I could eat in this form.

Closing my 'mouth', I noticed that while the exterior didn't move, I could still articulate my human part inside. "Your kind has is a special case when transforming." Explained Dalamadur as I used the crystal to look around my head. "When the Elders transform, we are given human bodies and our scales become a mix of armor and clothes around it. We can take them off, but they disappear into us when we turn back into or natural forms, no matter the distance. The problem with the Gore Magalas is that you can't take off this armor unless you Ascend."

I had just noticed what seemed to be a hood on the back of my neck when that caught my attention. "When you Ascend, you shed your actual skin to reveal the real one, correct?" I nodded. "That's why you can't take the armor off in this form. You can do everything you do naturally with it, but you cannot remove it. But, unlike the rest of us, your armor actually feels like your skin, so it isn't much of a change compared to your Elder form."

I nodded, pondering on the information. In the end, it seemed that it wasn't a problem, so I didn't mind it too much. "[Anything else I should know?]" I hadn't opened the mouth from outside, but the sound of my voice did came out. Just as if I was wearing a helmet.

"Your powers and abilities are still there, but we will have to work on your coordination and controlling your strength." I tried connecting back to Summer and, sure enough, I was able to see again. Just in time to catch his smirk. "I also recommend you start talking in the human language. It should come naturally with time, but you might want to ask for help to your friends."

Great. I had the feeling Summer was going to enjoy this far too much. We picked the pouches and made our way back to the others. Looking around, I felt so small in this form. The buildings, the trees and even the sky seemed too tall, too far away. It was going to be hard getting used to it. Luckily, the pouches didn't feel heavy at all, even if they felt far more cumbersome.

When we reached the rest, Summer was speaking calmly with the Nargacuga in human form, which was drinking one of the potions hunters used. I supposed that this form would allow us to use them, seeing as how it did seem to have an effect on her. It was the hunter who actually noticed us, even as he convinced the small girl to drink from one of his potions.

He pointed at us and Summer's and the kid's eyes went wide at my appearance. They didn't say anything until we reached them. Again, it was the hunter who reacted first. "That doesn't look half bad, honestly."

The next thing I heard was Summer's squeal as she looked around me. "Oh my Oum, you look _awesome_! Your wings look like a cape and the whole armor fits you so well! You even have a hood! Now we can be hood buddies!" She kept skipping around. "Ruby and Yang are going to love this!"

I laughed as Summer ranted a bit longer. Dalamadur explained the changes I had taken and how this armor worked, while Summer kept looking at me alongside the kid, who was a bit more wary, but still curious. He kept the ritual secret but explained how my new body worked to them.

"Now, with this out of the way, we have other issues to attend to, mainly the remaining life Essence and this child and her kidnappers." Mentioned Dalamadur. "While I want to take care of the waste of life that those kidnappers are, I'm afraid we need to move the child and the remaining Essence someplace safe."

Summer hummed and brought a hand to her chin. "And you are in no condition to fight." She pointed at the Nargacuga, who still had her arm and the wing in it covered in bandages. "I know! I can call Ozpin and tell him what has happened. He can send Qrow to pick you three up and take you to the base. There you can rest and Doctor Gaster can take a look at you both and her." She gave the girl one last look. "Though I'm not sure a research center is the best place to leave a child…"

' _Why not tell your husband and bird man to take her to your house?'_ I asked. _'They can take care of her and I'm sure Ruby and her sister would like having another kid to play with. I don't think my sister would mind either.'_

She raised a finger but dropped it a moment later. "You know, that's not a bad idea." She then frowned at me. "Though I would like you to call my family by their names."

I would think about it. Summer explained what she had in mind, and even if it was met with some protest from the Nargacuga, they all agreed in the end. "Fine, but when you return, I want a rematch. In _this_ form."

We both knew I couldn't win, not with such short time, at least, but I agreed. Was it going to hurt? Yep. Would it be a great help for me to get used to this body? Definitely. It was worth it. Summer turned to call Ozpin, forgetting I could contact him directly, and the Inferior addressed me again. "Hey." I looked at her. "I know we don't like each other, but can you do me a favor?"

"[It depends. What is it?]" I asked. She had me curious.

Her gaze hardened and I could feel all the rage behind it. "Give them hell. To each and every one of them."

…

I smiled, something that I think even she noticed behind the helmet. "[With pleasure.]"

* * *

 **A.N.: a rough start for the new group in Remnant. Although, bonding over kicking someone's ass is the best bonding. I hadn't planned on making the fight at first, but I felt that I had been info dumping too much recently, so this chapter (and most probably the next) has more butt-kicking on it.**

 **Oh, and for those interested in how Gore looks, you can find the link to an image in chapter ten. Just change the lines for dots and you're good to go.**

 **Links (change the underscores for dots and the last one for slashes):**

 **1 – www_youtube_com_watch?v=4SMKyXljvLs**

 **2 – www_youtube_com_watch?v=1UeMVfHN2P8**

* * *

 **Omake! This will most probably the start of a series of omakes that fill the role of giving a bit of exposition without being in the main story. Where they are set on regards to the timeline, I do not know yet, but they** _ **are**_ **canon.**

 **The Wizard and the Snake Part 1**

"This way." Said Ozpin, as he guided Daur through the streets of Vale. It was afternoon, just right after lunch hours, and the city was full of life and people. Some talking through their scrolls, others running in order to not be late to a meeting. And through all this chaos, the Headmaster of Beacon Academy and his tall Faunus friend managed to almost pass as normal people going about their day.

 _Almost_.

Some recognized the famous Headmaster, and the sheer size and armor from Daur didn't make them hard to spot. The fact that he was just like a Faunus in that form didn't help either. Luckily, no one dared to mess with a legendary huntsman and his companion. For more than obvious reasons.

"Here we are." The Wizard signaled to a small café that was in the corner of one of the most popular streets of Vale, both for its shops and for its location. "I assure you that this is one of the best places in Vale, my friend."

Daur hummed as they were greeted by a woman that guided them to a table on an outside balcony in the street. The café was quite crowded, but Ozpin had already called in advance to reserve a table. The location and the quality of the drinks and cakes there made it so that it was almost full. Not to mention the treatment was always exceptional.

When they were seated, Daur spoke. "While I am sure you are right, Summer said she didn't mind having us in her house and making the coffee and tea herself."

Ozpin shook his head. "I rather not bother her. And I promise you won't regret this." He gestured to the menu in front of him and both of them started browsing through it. Daur eyebrows almost immediately shot upwards.

"I didn't think there could be this many types of tea…" The next instant, he was focused on reading through the menu carefully.

The Wizard chuckled. "I'm more of a coffee man myself, though they don't lack in that department either." As the both browsed through the menu, Ozpin kept talking. "I must admit I was a bit surprised when I discovered your liking for the drink."

Now it was the time for Daur to chuckle. "It was one of the first things I discovered from human culture back in my world, when I was young." He raised his eyes up, lost in thought. "My, how time passes."

On the other side of the table, Ozpin nodded in agreement. "I can relate."

They were both snapped out of it by the young, cheery waitress that approached them. "Hello, what will-oh! Headmaster Ozpin! Is good to see you here sir!"

The man smiled. "Hello, Alice. How are you doing?"

The woman smiled again, this time brighter and more honestly. "I've been fairing pretty well myself, professor. The business is full, as always, but I'm happy. Most customers are nice, except for the arrogant bigot here or there."

Ozpin nodded. "I'm glad to hear that." He then pointed at the other man in the table. "This is my friend, Daur. I hope that there is no problem in him being a Faunus."

"Oh, not at all, professor." She extended her hand, which Daur shook with care. "It's a pleasure meeting you. I'm Alice. I'm the owner of the Wonderland café, and any and all friends of Ozpin all welcomed here."

Daur let out a chuckle at the energy of the girl. "Daur. A pleasure as well, Alice. I'm new to Vale and Ozpin is showing me around. He said that you had the best coffee and tea on all the city."

That made the girl blush a bit. "W-what? No, it's not _that_ good."

"Do not sell yourself short Alice." Reprimanded the Headmaster, though in a caring voice, like the one of a grandfather talking to their niece. "I wouldn't come here if I didn't enjoy the drinks and the company."

Just as he said that, a loud crash could be heard from inside. Quickly as lightning, a bunny Faunus exited the door and turned to Alice. "Alice, we need you in here! Chesire has made the Hatter drop a vase and now he's chasing the cat around! I fear for the rest of the establishment if you don't stop them!" The Faunus checked a watch on his pocket and suddenly screamed. "The coffee!"

Alice sighed and turned to the two men. "I think we are going to have to talk later. Have you decided on what will you take?"

Ozpin nodded. "The same for me, as always."

The camouflaged Elder looked at his menu once more. "I'll take the White Vacuoan Tea, if it's not a problem."

The girl smiled as she picked up her menus. "Not at all. Do you want some pastries with it?"

Daur nodded and away she went. The Snake turned to the Wizard. "Chesire is a… cat?"

He nodded. "He is the mischievous mascot of the place. It causes some troubles, but the customers usually get along with him."

Daur looked at the inside, where he could spot Alice with said cat on her arms. "I won't know if this place is as good as you said until they serve us our drinks," he looked back at Ozpin, "but it sure is… interesting."

The Wizard smile. "As I said, you won't regret it."

* * *

 **Reviews!**

 **proiu: thank you. I hope you liked this one.**

 **Deathangles14: thank you again for keeping the counter. Hail the counter keeper. Hail!**

 **RabidArmenian: you know, this is my story and I will Tsuderize(is that even a word?) a character if I want. Maybe I will…  
'MIGHT', you say? Ha! They're fucking dead. Bad luck for them, I guess.  
I'll write it down. Maybe for the next chapter, though I have found out a great one for a bar brawl if it ever happens. Clue: they will get **_**Shrecked**_ **.  
And for MH to be in its moody teenage years, as you say, the games are half bad. Although many armors are edgy AF.**

 **DragonLord2327: more about Gore's weapon below.**

 **Knighwolf1875: she gets her ass kicked in this chapter, but Gorey is going to have to rematch her, in** _ **her**_ **terms. And Neo will be happy in the Rose-Xiao-Long household, and she most probably will want to have her saviors with her, so who knows.**

 **Guest: they would work on Grimm, but it's a bit on the grey side of morality using them on humans.**

 **Neb: the second one, as proved by the omake.  
I'm still thinking on how many and who of them, so I won't spoil. And now I'm imagining Galvenus as a Bloodborne boss who fights Tyrian for some reason.  
*visibly shudders* Ugh, no Gigginox or Khezu, please. I hate those things. And maybe not Barioth, but something will call the attention of the Atlas Miltary in time, I'm sure.  
It would be quite the combo. One smirks evilly at you while the other moves its eyes around like nuts before sucker punching you with its tongue.  
And we are NEVER talking about that fucking fish. **_**EVER**_ **. *Pleshioth trauma returns*  
If I make the Omake, though, I'll credit you.**

 **On another note, a mail with another review reached my mail, but I can't find it here or in the page, so I can't answer you, good sir/madam. IDK why, but Fanfiction tends to do this every once in a while.**

 **As the last thing, I want you guys to send me ideas on Gore's weapon. It can be a MH weapon or a RWBY one, or a mix of both. A few things to note is that weight won't matter much and that it will have the Virus in it because it will be his weapon. I think it make sense, honestly.**

 **I hope you enjoyed!**

 **Have a great day!**


	15. Chapter 13: Storm the castle

**A.N.: hello there! I have been reading the reviews regarding the weapons, and there are very interesting ideas. HOWEVER, I will be trying for his weapon** _ **not**_ **to be a scythe, simply because it would be too repetitive. If you want, though, I'll make it a scythe. We'll see.**

 **I'm still thinking on giving Gorey four lightsabers and make him be like 'I've been trained in your hunter arts by Count Daur' and start twirling them like a fricking chopper.**

* * *

 **Black Dragon, White Rose**

 **Chapter 13**

 **Storm the castle**

 **/ Summer P.O.V. /**

It hadn't taken long for Qrow to arrive with a bullhead. His mission was also in Mistral, so he wasn't too far away. Ozpin had agreed on letting the hunter, who presented himself as Icharias, and Midnight stay in the base. It took a little bit of convincing, but Tai also agreed on letting the poor girl stay with them until we returned. When Ruby and Yang heard this, I could hear their excitement from the other side of the call and Tai laughing while trying to answer their questions.

I also sent him a video of Gore stumbling around that I had made when he though I was distracted. He was like a child with their first bicycle, it was hilarious! And when he used his wingarms it was like putting the stabilizers on said bicycle! I could barely hold my laughter at that time.

Daur brought me back to reality, stating that if we were to rescue the people that had been kidnapped, we needed to hurry. A part of me wanted to call Leo and ask for reinforcements, but we didn't know how long they were going to keep the people. Even if this was related in some way to the kidnappings that he was investigating, we couldn't risk it.

So after they left, we moved as fast as we could. And as funny as it was, Gore was getting the hang of walking with only two feet rather quickly. He was still using his wingarms as help as we ran, but he no longer looked like Qrow after the graduation party. I think I still have a video of that somewhere.

Well, Ozpin surely does. He always manages to catch everything with those cameras of his.

In any case, after almost an hour of walking, we reached a clearing with a cabin in it. In our way here, we had to deal with several Grimm, but there was none in sight around the cabin, which was strange. With the negativity coming from the kidnapped people, this place should be crawling with it. Either they weren't here, or they had cleaned up recently.

The cabin was in a deplorable state. Rotten wood, broken windows and several holes in the wall. It was a miracle it wasn't falling on itself. As we approached, I used my Semblance to give the house a good look from outside. Apart from the clear abandon, nothing seemed unusual about it, except its location. It was too far away from the towns around it, and it wasn't like Patch, where there were very few Grimm around. This was in the middle of Grimm territory, with no help in sight and with the closest town a few kilometers away.

Only someone with a death wish would live here. Or someone with something to hide…

The three of us moved to the front door, which was locked. A completely abandoned house, in the middle of Grimm territory had the door locked? Yeah, right, not suspicious at all. _'Here. Let me get it.'_

I stepped aside and let Gore take my place. He threw his arm back and punched the handle. Instead of just breaking it and opening the door, the entirety of it went _flying_ inside the house until it hit the other side and shattered in a million pieces. I slowly turned to Gore as he glanced between his fist and the door. He looked at me. _'I promise_ that _wasn't what I had in mind.'_

Daur patted his shoulder. "As I said, you will have to learn to control your strength." He said as he walked in, followed by us. "Your size, weight and the physics around it have changed, but your strength, mind and soul remain the same. I assure you, there are many accidents like this to come before you manage to maintain control over it."

Gore looked at me and I shrugged. I mean, if I suddenly had all that strength, I would be struggling too. We moved around the house, as Daur went upstairs and Gore and I checked the main floor. There was no decoration and no furniture. As in, no furniture _at all_ , not even pieces of them or even a single sing of anyone living in it. It was as if someone had built the house and never moved a single sofa, TV or bed inside.

Except for the very obvious carpet on the ground we found. It sill had dust and grime like the rest of the house, but it was clear that it had been moved around as it had far less than any other place inside there. We called Daur, which told us that the upper part of the house was equally empty, and the three of us moved closer to the carpet.

We moved it, to find a heavy, locked hatch in perfect state under it. It was rectangular and I recognized it as thee typical model that civilians had on their houses to protect their basements in case of a Grimm attack. These things could hold the charge of a Beringel as if it was a fly.

And it also made it clearly obvious that we were on the right track.

Now, don't get me wrong, all of this was very well concealed, for _civilians_. In the rare case that a caravan or something among those lines were to pass through here, they would only find a failed attempt of someone to build their home. And being in the middle of Grimm territory made it very difficult for someone to investigate. Even if someone were to enter the cabin, the carpet was inconspicuous enough to not draw attention from untrained eyes.

However, if someone managed to find the hatch, they wouldn't be able to open it. Even I couldn't. It was made to resist the all that the Grimm could throw at it. Even a Nuckelavee would have problems trying to open it. It had a numerical pad on the side, and I knew for a fact that it had several heavy locks on the other side.

"May I?" Asked Daur.

Though I don't think they were prepared to resist the strength of a mountain sized snake.

He tapped the hatch a couple of times before kneeling on one leg and punching it. The hatch dented inwards, extremely so, but it wasn't broken. Daur hummed as if he was amused. He launched another punch and this one almost breaks the entirety of the frame around it, making the ground around us tremble. It goes without saying that the hatch now had a hole the size of a couple of head on it.

He the proceeded to pull the metal backwards to widen the entrance. The screeching of metal was horrendous, but it didn't take him long to make a hole that we could go through. Looking through it, I found that there was a staircase leading into the depths. I raised an eyebrow. "This is so cliché." I smiled. "Ruby's going to love this story."

' _Cliché?'_ Asked Gore, going down after me and almost failing to catch his footing.

"It's when something… ugh, never mind, I'll explain you later." Not that I didn't want to explain it, but I was guessing he was going to be as difficult as Ruby when it had been her turn, even more.

After Daur dropped down, I found what seemed to be a might switch and flicked it. I was correct and several dim lights on the sides turned on. It wasn't much, but it would stop me from falling down. And what a drop it would have been. I am not lying when I say that we were walking down stairs for at least 5 minutes. We were walking slow admittedly, but we didn't want to run into any traps.

When we reached the end of the stairs, there was another metallic door, this one lighter than the first one. Instead, this one had a small rectangular opening for someone's eyes to see our side of it. Gore couldn't get his feelers to see the other side, and I couldn't hear anything on the other side. "Okay, none of us can open the door without causing a ruckus. So, the moment we enter, be ready for anything."

Both of them nodded and Daur kicked the door open. Instead of flying away, he managed to made it fall and slide a couple of meters. The three of us moved in, weapons ready in my case. They simply raised their fists, although, with their strength, they were far deadlier than they looked.

To our mutual surprise, there was no one at the other side, only a hallway made of rock and stone with the same lights that the stairs had. We looked at each other and relaxed. The hallway had metal doors on each side every few meters until an intersection further on. Beside the door we just crashed, was a wooden chair, definitely for someone making guard.

We moved forward slowly, Gore in the front, me behind him and Daur following. It was eerily silent, the only sounds being our steps and the scratch of metal on metal that the small eye hatches made as I moved them to check inside the rooms. They were all the same: rock walls, one bed, sometimes two and a bucket on one of the corners. What really bothered me was that, while this ones were empty, there were still some traces of blood in the beds and walls of some of them.

I turned to my two companions with a glare. "This is the place. Let's keep going."

They nodded and we moved forward to the intersection, checking every room. When we reached the other hallway that crossed ours, Gore stopped. _'Wait…'_ He seemed to be focusing on something. He was in silence for a few seconds before growling. _'This place is like a maze. Hallway after hallway. The only thing to guide us are the numbers above the doors.'_

I looked at one of them and true to his word, there was a number above the closed door. _'Wait, I have something.'_ We looked at him and he pointed to our right. _'This way.'_

We followed him as we ran through the hallway. Gore managed to not fall by using his wingarms from time to time. He guided us through a couple more hallways before stopping at another intersection. At this point, I could hear cries and voices coming from the hallway crossing ours. Gore pointed to his left and let me through. Peeking over the corner, I saw an image that made my blood boil.

There, in the middle of the corridor, was a group of several children and women, all in different states of malnutrition and with only rags covering their bodies. Two men were pointing their rifles at them with their backs to us, while a third one kept ushering out from different cells more children and women. "C'mon, move it!" He shouted as he pushed another girl to the group. The one next to her almost tripped and the guy pushed her forward, almost making her fall if it wasn't for other two that caught her. "You fucking bitch, move it!"

When they were on the group, he opened another cell and I barely managed to contain a gasp. From inside, he pulled a girl that couldn't be older than _Ruby_ alongside what looked like her mother. "What is taking so long?!" Asked one of the other two. "The intruders could reach us any minute now!"

By this point, I didn't care they knew we where here. I turned to Gore and Daur and almost made them step back when they saw my eyes. I didn't care. "You two take the first two, I'll take the one on the back."

They didn't wait a single second to nod and I moved silently behind the other two. A woman spotted me, but I brought a finger to my mouth, making her nod slightly. Now, while I called my Semblance Flower Dash, it was more a teleportation than a dash. I could move through objects but I needed a clear image of where I wanted to land. Dodging through a sword or a claw? Easy. Phasing through an opaque wall to the other side? Not so much. I had to take distance and height into account, and going by memory, even if I had seen the place a few seconds ago, wasn't a good idea.

But, through two thugs and a group of scared innocents, with a good enough sight of the other side? Hell yeah. With a bit of speed, I activated my Semblance. The steps made the two of the turn around, but I was already in front of the third guy, who was grabbing the girl by her hair. He didn't have time to react before I pushed him off the girl and pinned him to the ground.

"What the- argh!" _*Squelch!*_ I made sure the guy under me couldn't move and turned my head around. The group of girls had taken a step backwards between hushed voices and I could see what had happened. Daur was holding one of the guards up in the air by the neck, while Gore was trying to get his hand clean from the blood and grey matter that now covered it. On the wall, a headless body slid down to the floor, spraying blood over it.

At another time, I would have been angry at him, but I didn't care if this scum died. They _deserved_ it. I turned to the one underneath me and pulled his head back. "Are there any more prisoners in here?"

"Fuck you." He growled. _Wrong answer_.

I smashed his head on the ground and lifted it again. "I will only ask this once more: are there any more people in the cells?"

He didn't answer and I was about to lose my patience when one of the girls spoke. "T-they have more people trapped in here. I saw them take the rest away."

"Shut up, you- argh!" I smashed his head on the ground again.

I turned to the woman, now with a calmer expression. "Do you know where?"

The poor girl shook her head. "N-no, but I heard something about a hangar where they had bullheads ready to take them away."

I nodded and turned to the one on the ground. "Where?" Before he could answer though, I pressed his head on the ground. "And before you decide to not talk, keep in mind that my friend has just smashed your partner's head onto a wall, and he will do the same to you unless you _talk_!"

The man growled a bit but relented. "There's a hangar close to the cliffs leading to the mountain. Rob has a map on his pocket."

I turned to the other kidnapper, who was now glaring at the one I had pinned. Daur searched through his pockets until he found the map and the cell keys. When I saw the keys, an idea popped in my mind. "Can you hand me the keys?"

Daur nodded and I caught them after he threw them. I opened the closest cell and threw the guy inside, with Daur following my example. Before they could react, we locked them and I twirled the keys on my hand with a smile. "There, all set."

The one I had threw in slammed the door. "You won't get away with this. Our boss will kill you all, huntsmen." He chuckled. "He has killed several huntsmen already. Do you think you'll be any different?"

I looked at Gore and Daur behind me and smiled back. "I actually do. Enjoy your cell."

With that, we guided the group through the halls, checking there weren't any more women in the cells. We thought of guiding them back to the entrance we came in, but with the bunker door completely broken, they would be easy prey for the Grimm. Instead, we decided to take them with us and keep them safe until we cleaned the place.

As we moved through the passages, we found most of the cells were already empty, having left behind the sick… and the corpses. We freed all those that we found and I did the best I could to keep them alive. As we moved, Daur decided to stay between the sick and those that weren't, simply because none of them were in any state to fight even a cold. We weren't going to leave anyone behind, but the less people sick, the better.

At the end of a hallway, we reached a set of doors different than the rest. The passage was wider and the double door was heavily reinforced. Luckily, there wasn't any pads or key locks. I moved towards it as I signaled my friends to wait. I opened the door a bit and peeked inside of the next room.

This was indeed the hangar, and, while it wasn't Atlesian level of huge, it was big for a criminal network. _Too_ big. Three bullheads were stationed inside, one of them already being boarded by more prisoners, while the other two laid in wait. Looking around, I noticed several armed guards, looking around. And up, in some railings, I saw a figure escorted by two guards. He had a dark green coat on his shoulders and I could see the glint of a sword on his waist, but I couldn't make out his face.

' _That's probably the leader that guy was talking about._ ' I thought. If he was as dangerous as he said, then I needed to be careful. I closed the door slowly and turned to the group.

And for the first time, I noticed one of the girls try to cover herself with the hood she had when I looked at her. Was she scared? Maybe, but I had a nagging feeling that that wasn't it. In any case, we had more pressing matters to take care of. I could find out who she was when she was safe. "There are a lot of guards in there, and I think I saw the one behind this operation, too. Daur," I looked at him, "I need you to stay here and protect all of them. We can't move them inside with all those guards. Make sure no one reaches them."

He nodded with a determined look. "Gore, you and I are going to take care of those inside. I'll deal with the leader while you free the prisoners. Guide them here and then you," I looked back at Daur, "make sure nobody goes through that door until we are finished."

They agreed to the plan and we moved closer to the door. "Good luck."

I nodded to the disguised Elder and proceed to push the door open quietly, with Gore behind me. We moved quickly behind one of the bullheads, close to the cockpit. In a swift move, I grabbed the closest guard and blocked his mouth with my hand before dragging him back and knocking him out. I felt like the character from one of Ruby's games, Metal Gear Liquid, I think it was.

Shaking those thoughts out of my head, I pondered on how to move now. They will notice this guards disappearance soon, and going guns blazing would put the kidnapped in danger. I could try to reach the supposed leader, but by that point, the bullhead that was being loaded might have already left Gods know where. _'Think, Summer, think!'_

A loud explosion made all of our heads turn. It came from the other side of the hangar, so that meant that the ones we rescued where out of its reach. Nonetheless, the hangar erupted into action. "They are here! Open fire!" One of the guards yelled and all hell broke lose. I couldn't see anything behind the dust of the explosion, but the kidnappers were being shot back, so that meant that somebody else was here.

Not only that, but they just gave us an opportunity.

"Take the women and children to Daur. I'll deal with the rest." He nodded and we both bolted out of our cover.

 **(Play: Combichrist - Never Surrender [HQ] [Devil May Cry Soundtrack])**

I shot down two guards that noticed us as I made my way to the stairs that led to where the guy I had seen before was. Reaching the stairs, I kneed one guy in the stomach before hitting him right in the face with the hilt of Thorn, pushing him out of my way. As I started climbing the stairs, tow other assailants with swords tried to stop me. I dodged the first strike to the left before hitting him in the side of his face, making him fall off the railing. The second one tried to use this as an opening, but I parried his sword and stabbed him in the gut before throwing him to the side and down the stairs.

They wouldn't get my mercy.

I kept climbing and more of them tried to stop me. I kicked the first one legs from under him before letting him fall down, head first. The next one followed a similar fate when I vaulted him over me and down the stairs. The third guy got a slice on his midsection and a trip over the railing for his effort.

When I reached the next floor, I stopped a moment and looked down to see how Gore was doing. I was relieved to see that he was already making them go through the door to Daur. Behind him and close to the bullhead, the remains of the guards littered the floor and I could see a huge dent and what was left of a torso on the bullhead. Luckily, none of the prisoners seemed to have been harmed by the attacks.

I also spared a glance to the hole on the wall and saw several people coming through it, though they weren't hunters nor police. In fact, they looked like bandits, but why were they here? They were also pushing the kidnappers back slowly, but if they were keeping them distracted, I wasn't going to complain.

As I moved to the last set of stairs, I kicked another one off the railing. The next guy tried to shoot at me while two others moved down to try and kill me. I blocked the bullets with my swords before the other two reached me. I then dodged a strike to the right and pushed the one closest to me to his companion, making them stumble out of my way. I used the space to teleport behind the one that was shooting.

I tapped his shoulder, making him turn, and with a smile and a wave, I kicked him down the stairs, were he dragged the other two down with him in a heap of bodies and limbs. I made a run to the walkway where the boss was still looking down. He and his guards noticed me, but I dashed in front of the two, stabbing one in the knee, while kicking the other away, though he managed to remain on the walkway and not fall down.

He tried to stab a dagger on my head, only for me to grab his arm and use him as a shield from the bullets of his friend. When I heard the click of the empty gun, I pushed the corpse aside and, with a simple swing, cut the barrel of the gun in two before giving the guy an Aura-infused kick to his face, knocking him unconscious at the feet of his boss, who looked completely unimpressed by the fight.

 **(End Song)**

He sighed. "It's so hard to find good help these days."

I pointed Thorn at him. "Give up. We are taking the girls to a safe place and you are going to prison right after."

He shook his head. "I'm afraid not, dear. I may have been set back a little with your small incursion, but I won't be going to prison." He then proceeded to bow, as if he wasn't being threatened. "Licorice, at your service. May I know your name?"

"I won't humor you, _monster_." I felt like just stabbing through him, but I restrained myself. "Hand me your weapon and surrender, or I'll take you in by force."

Licorice, as he called himself, raised an eyebrow. "I'm afraid I can't do that." He pulled out his sword, and I could take a good look at it. The edges were serrated and it was longer than Thorn, with the point of the sword having the form of an arrow tip. The cross guard had a small beowolf skull on each side. "Lupus Morsus has been in my family since before the great war. I can't just give it away, even if a fair maiden like you asks for it."

My patience was running thin and I was on the verge of just jumping at him. "But I can make you a deal. Leave. Take the girls if you want and let me go. I won't pursue you nor will I try to harm you." His tone was bored and monotone, and I couldn't help but feel even more angered. "That is my offer."

"You're in no position to negotiate." And with that, I launched myself forward as the sounds of battle under us continued.

 **(Play: MOST BADASS VOCAL BATTLE ACTION EVER | by Epikus)**

He sighed and raised his sword to meet my strike. "Such a shame." He moved my sword away and I stepped backwards to dodge a swing from him. "You'll die just like the rest, then."

He adopted a fencing stance and saluted me before charging forwards. I blocked his attack but he was faster than I thought and went for another stab. I blocked again and he proceeded to do a series of fast attacks directed to my chest and stomach. I used my swords to deflect, but a couple of hits managed to get me and I could feel my Aura take the damage.

He was skilled, but not as much as he thought. On his last strike, I parried the sword upwards and brought Petal down to his stomach. To my surprise, his other hand, which had been hiding behind the coat, came out and blocked the attack. I was quick to react, though, and I kicked him in the face, using it as a springboard and doing a backflip, landing on one knee as he stumbled backwards. _'Nailed it!'_

Looking at his left hand, I noticed he had a metal gauntlet covering it, explaining how he had stopped my attack. As I prepared to charge again, I had a thought of transforming my weapon into it's staff form, but the railings may become a hindrance if I did that. So I left it as it was and struck again. This time I was in the offensive, as I tried to search for openings in his defense. He was a tough cookie, though, and in the end, I had to resort to one of the most valuable lessons I learnt throughout the years: if you can find an opening, create one yourself!

After he blocked my next attack, I twisted my body around quickly and swept his left knee. I didn't making him loose balance, but he let out a pained cry and kneeled down. Before he could bring his guard back up, I slashed with Petal at his face and sent him to the ground with the force behind it. "Surrender. I won't ask again."

He rose slowly and let out a chuckle. "My, it seems I had grown overconfident. Thank you for knocking some sense back to me." He stood up and turned to me. "But this game ends now."

His Aura flickered a moment, and I felt a sudden weight all over me. No, it was more as if I had grown weaker. What…? "You have noticed, how could you not?" He said, his voice still bored. "This is how the other huntsmen have fallen, and this is how you'll fall."

What had he done to me? I felt… contained, caged almost. As if he had imprison some part of me away at some place. I almost didn't react when he attack, but I managed to black at the last second. I was off balance, however, and I almost fell backwards. He used this chance to try and cut at my chest. I managed to position my sword at the last second, but the tip lf his blade still managed to slice at my side.

It was a small, shallow cut, but _a_ cut. He couldn't have depleted my Aura this easily! How did he-?! Wait. That's it! He had deactivated my Aura! That weight I felt before was my Aura fading away. Was it his Semblance? "It seems you have finally noticed." He spoke again. "Most of you huntsmen rely too much on your Semblance. Ironic that you die because of one."

I glared at him and stood on guard. Aura or not, I wasn't going to let him win. He charged forwards with an overhead strike which I parried away. I slashed at him, forcing him to block and went for another stab to his chest. He stopped it with his blade before trying to cut at my neck. I moved backwards and made some distance between us. _Too close_.

The fight continued, as he focused on breaking my defense, with quick strikes and stabs, prodding at my guard. Even with two swords, it was hard to keep up with him without Aura and his attacks managed to inflict a few other cuts over my body. None of them were grave, not even together, but there was another problem: I was starting to get tired.

In an attempt to push him away, I managed to shoot at his sword and tried to tackle him to the ground. He saw this coming though, and was able to step aside and kick me to the railing. I rolled away as his sword cut the metal bars right where I was just a send ago. I pinned his sword to the ground with my foot and pushed him forwards, out of the platform.

But he was fast and grabbed my feet before falling down. It wasn't that much of a fall, but without Aura it could be dangerous. He knew this, and wrestled to put me under him and hold me there to smash me on the ground. I tried to struggle, but he was using his Aura and we were almost on the floor. I closed my eyes, waiting for the pain to hit me like a truck.

It never came.

Instead of hitting the floor, I felt something grab me and separate me from the man before we hit the ground. When I noticed I was safe and sound on the ground, I opened my eyes, and I found myself staring at Gore as he 'looked' at me.

 **(End song)**

' _Are you alright?'_ He asked. He sounded concerned.

I nodded. "I'm fine. Thanks." Suddenly, I felt that weight and pressure lift from myself and I looked at my hands, watching as the white light of my Aura flickered back to life. It was back! But how? Gore let me on my feet carefully and I took a look at the hangar. Bodies littered the floor, some with bullets on them while others were missing chunks of their body. It was clear which ones had faced Gore, honestly.

"Surround them!" I turned to my right and saw several of the bandits move around Gore, me and the place where Licorice had fallen. The kidnapper was shaking his head as he tried to stand up. We weren't too far away from where he had landed, but it made me realize something. His Semblance was able to shut down the Aura of the people around him, but it had a very limited range.

Gore growled and I looked warily at the bandits around us. I still hadn't figured out why they were here, but they were bandits nonetheless, so I doubted they had come here to free the prisoners out of their goodwill. They wanted something. I turned to the door where Daur was hiding with the girls and noticed that they hadn't attempted to get through there yet. Good.

I heard a grunt and noticed that the leader had risen from the ground. "You are giving me much more trouble than I expected, dear." With a quick movement, he twirled around and his sword extended as if it was a whip, cutting through the bandits that were too close to him. "And I won't let these savages interrupt us. We have unfished business."

Gore was about to jump at him, but I stopped him before he could. "Wait! His Semblance can deactivate the Aura of those around him." I showed him the cuts I had on my body as they slowly healed.

And a second later I realized that it hadn't been the best thing to do. In hindsight, I should have known, with how protective Gore can be at times. I honestly don't rule out the possibility of him being a father some day. Thoughts aside, I could feel the anger coming from Gore, and the rest of the hangar saw it too, as a black most started to form around us. _'You forget, Summer, that I don't need Aura to fight.'_

He then tapped to my ear. I stood confused for a second before I understood what he meant. "Oh, right!" As I pulled my earplugs out, I noticed more bandits entering the room and training their weapons at us. I wasn't worried about them though. Compared to Licorice, they were basically cannon fodder and I could deal with them with ease.

The moment I had my earplugs on, Gore nodded. I saw the man I had fought said something with an annoyed expression, but I simply couldn't hear it. This plugs had been an idea Gore had brought to us from something similar the hunters used in his world, and doctor Gaster was able to create several pairs that were able to protect our ears from the sound. Our Auras already prevented any harm from those roars, but having these stopped the pain, which was appreciated.

Too bad neither the bandits nor that monster knew about this when Gore roared.

* * *

 **/ Gore P.O.V. /**

I was _angry_.

No, I was _**furious**_ **.** Summer had told me to rescue those humans, and after feeling her hate and distaste for those that captured them, I couldn't help but feel disgusted myself. I sent them with Dalamadur, several of them thanking me as they ran. I continued by killing the ones that had the girls trapped. Another group of humans were fighting them, but I decided to ignore them unless they attacked me. The few that tried were now splattered on the ground.

During that fight, I sensed fear coming from Summer, and looking up, I saw how the fight with that man had made her fall from where they were. In a moment, I jumped from the ground and snatched Summer away from him. But that wasn't what had me furious.

No, those were the cuts Summer had. She was my friend, someone that had helped me through all the time I had been in this strange world, and this… this _**fool**_ had actually harmed her! I knew Summer could take care of herself, but she was still my friend, and I wasn't going to let some _**monster**_ cause her pain!

As Summer covered her ears, the man spoke. "Step aside, animal, my fight is with the lady."

Hah! Not on my watch! I roared with all the strength of my lungs. It wasn't as potent as with my usual form, but with the smaller space, it send the message pretty clearly, apart from making a few ears bleed. Summer took this chance to charge at the closest group of people.

And I launched myself towards the man before he could recover.

 **(Play: Destroid – Annihilate)**

I managed to grab him and throw him to the ground. I started punching, and while I could feel my own strength as always, it was extremely hard to actually control it. Not that I needed to right now, anyway. He covered himself with his sword and that gauntlet on his hand before being able to kick me away.

I remained on my feet, albeit barely. This form wasn't easy to manage. How did humans fight so well like this?! The man jumped back to his feet with a frown and his Aura shinned for a moment. I felt mine dim a bit, but it was still there. The man looked perplexed before trying again. My Aura faltered for a second before flickering back to life. "How..?"

I shrugged. That was his problem not mine. I tried punching him, but he dodged it with ease. His sword came to my neck, and as I expected, bounced off my skin? Armor? I could still feel through it, so I wasn't too sure. As he was distracted looking at his weapon, I attempted to strike him again, with the same result.

The fight went on. I could hear Summer dealing with the rest, while the leader and I 'fought', if it could even be called that. I wasn't able to land a hit, as his movements were too fast and coordinated, while I still couldn't even kick without falling to the ground. On the other hand, every hit he threw bounced of me, not leaving a single scratch. There was one advantage on my part, though.

He was growing tired, and I could keep fighting for hours.

But it was so _frustrating_! As I tried to claw at him, he parried and waved through my attacks. He threw the next away and tried to stab through my face, where my eye should be. Key word 'should', as it failed to harm me again. By this point, I was almost out of patience and he was sweating heavily.

I didn't want to do this, mainly because Summer would complain, but this was going nowhere. I clawed at him, making the fool dodge to the right, just as I turned my body and made him trip with my tail. He wasn't expecting that, as his face showed, and I took the slim chance. I charged my Virus as he recovered. It wasn't too different as how I did it normally, by simply focusing my hairs and scales in front of my face, so it didn't take long to do it.

However, the man would be able to dodge it before I finished, so I made use of my other secret. Just before he stood up, I used one of my wingarms to grab his feet. His face contorted into one of surprise for the second time. I pulled down right in front of me, making him unable to move before I released the Virus.

He screamed in pain before kicking me away. I looked at him as he kept shouting, getting the attention of everyone around. "What have you done?! Animal! I'll kill you! Argh!" He kept swinging his sword around, now completely out of control or elegance as before. Just mad swings left and right. They were easy to dodge or stop, so I did just that.

With another shout and an attack following, he tried to decapitate me once more. I grabbed the sword with my claw and pulled him closer. My Virus was eating his Aura around him and his face was full of pain and anger. **Just as he deserved**. "W-what… are you?"

I didn't give him an answer as I used my strength to break his sword in half. He staggered away, but I grabbed him by the head and hoisted him up. He punched and tried to break my hold of him. With the fragment I had of his sword in my hand, I looked at him in the eye and talked.

…

Or at least tried to. All that came our were grumbles. I'll ask help with that to Summer later.

I wasted no more time and stabbed the blade on his neck, making his Aura fade as he gurgled, his own blood blocking his breath. I let him down on the ground, as he struggled to do anything without success. When he finally stopped moving, I rested one of my feet on his head and roared again, daring anybody else around to try and fight me.

 **(End song)**

By the Ancients, was that guy annoying to fight! As I looked around, all the eyes were on me. I focused on Summer, who knocked a guy out before nodding to me. Weird, I thought she might have said something about killing this man. I'll have to ask her later.

She let the guy fall on the ground and walked close to me as the people around us shifted, some aiming their weapons at us while others didn't seem too sure on what to do. Summer reached me and patted my shoulder with a smile. "Good job. I normally wouldn't have let you do it, but…" She looked at the body, with the Virus still lingering. And I kept wondering on _what_ it was feeding itself of. "I can allow it this time." She then glared at me. "But only this time, clear?"

I nodded quickly. Ancients know that I don't want to have an angry Summer directed at me. She seemed satisfied by that, so she turned around and faced the crowd of people around us. "So, who's next?"

They seemed to flinch at those words and I felt a smile coming to my lips. It was quite the scene: several armed men scared of a (admittedly small) woman and her armored friend. Maybe it was just me, but I found the scene quite funny. Pulling me out of my thoughts, Summer changed her weapon into a scythe and planted it on the ground. "And before anyone tries, let me assure you," her frown deepened and I almost had to step away out of the sheer aura of fury she exuded, "I am _not_ having a good day."

Nobody made a move for a few tense seconds. I wasn't scared, mind you, but the silence after the fight made the place reek with tension. Even through all of that, I could feel Summer ready, but calm and alert at the same time. Before coming to this world, I had only fought alongside my brother and sister and those times were far gone. It had been a while since I had someone keeping my back, but now I had someone to do just that.

And it felt good having someone you could trust in battle.

A shout cut through the silence. "The boss is here!" The people surrounding us turned to the new arrival, and upon noticing it was one of theirs, they seemed to be relieved of the tension. Some even chuckled while others made way from the hole where they had come from. Summer and I shared a look and she shrugged. _'I guess we'll just have to wait and see.'_

She nodded and readied her weapon towards the hole. I focused my feelers and noticed a lone figure coming towards us. The tunnel was pitch black, and until the figure reached out of the tunnel, I relied on my feelers. I could tell it was a woman, with a mask covering her head and a katana on her waist.

If she is as bad with that weapon as some of the hunters back in my world, she'll be more of a hindrance to those around her rather than a teammate.

A few moments later, the woman stepped into the light. The mask that covered her whole face was white with red markings, and she was wearing a red and black dress with gauntlets in the forearms. She had some sort of long necklace and long black hair. Even without her drawing her weapon, I could feel a sense of danger coming from her.

But what worried me the most was the torrent of emotions coming from Summer. Surprise and disbelief at first, followed by happiness and then anger, and finally a sense of nostalgia and sadness flowing through her entire being. Turning at her, I saw that her face was locked in a shocked look that expressed her emotions as best as a face could. I could also feel the stance of the other woman changing slightly as she noticed Summer.

And there was only one word that escaped my friend's mouth, but it carried every single feeling behind it, in a way I didn't thought any word could.

"Rae?"

* * *

 **A.N.: surprise, cliffhanger! And Summer doesn't know what to think. Meanwhile, Gore goes 'overprotective dragon friend' again, though this time something has actually happened to make him go into this state, not just threats.**

 **I won't answer the reviews this time, simply because there has been a personal matter this week that has left me without the energy to do anything. I managed to get this chapter out, and I** _ **have**_ **read them, but I just don't have the energy to answer them.**

 **Links:**

 **1 – www-youtube-com/watch?v=_9J8ccza1OI**

 **2 – www-youtube-com/watch?v=zP_lAuTRRCI**

 **3 – www-youtube-com/watch?v=Ivi1e-yCPcI**

 **Omake! (Canon)**

* * *

 **The Wizard and the Snake Part 2**

As Daur and Ozpin sat on the balcony of the Wonderland Café, they remained in a comfortable silence as they drank their tea and coffee, respectively. The two old souls eyed the people and scape around them. A few kids played on the street, watched closely by their mothers as they enjoyed a chat between them. Cars and vehicles went from one side of the street to the other, some of them too fast for their own safety. People walked from place to place while others entered different buildings, including the café itself.

And through all of that chaos, through all of that movement, the Mountain Snake and the Reincarnating Wizard found a small respite from their burdens.

"I must admit, the variety of this place stills impresses me." Said Daur, as he picked a small pastry from a plate and ate it on one go. "Back from where I come from, there wasn't too much variety. In fact, there was no coffee whatsoever."

Ozpin nodded with his eyes closed and a frown. "What a terrible prospect. A world without coffee…"

Dalamadur nodded. "But lets set that aside." He gained the attention of Ozpin. "I have been digging through this worlds story, and there is an event that caught my attention: The Great War."

"Ah, yes. An abhorrent conflict of greed and power." Ozpin said. "But it started far before than the conflict itself. Mantle, now Atlas, and Mistral had been aligned with each other for a while at that time. One sent resources to its northern neighbor while the other aided its ally to settle in the frozen lands. This alliance made Vale and Vacuo nervous, seeing as how it might spell war in the future, should any of the two want to expand."

Daur listened intently as the Headmaster spoke. "However, it wasn't just that. The use of slavery on both kingdoms made Vale and Vacuo look at them with distasteful eyes. It was all made worse when, after a brutal attack by the Grimm on one of Mantle's settlements, the kingdom decided that the suppression of art and self-expression would make their city and towns safer."

The Elder shook his head. "That mustn't have ended well. I have learnt many things about humanity throughout my life, and trying to oppress them is not a good idea."

"Indeed." Agreed Ozpin. "The first conflict was fought over the small peninsulas and island around the eastern coast of Sanus. Even when the king if Vale wanted to share the territory, two bands of settlers attacked each other. It was the final straw, and it gave rise to the first battles of the war."

The man took a second to drink from his cut before continuing. "Throughout the first conflicts, Vacuo remained neutral until Mistral and Mantle wanted the aforementioned kingdom to ally with them. This made the citizens of Vacuo realize that, if the alliance between the two kingdoms was able to win the war, there would be nothing stopping them from taking Vacuo too. So, in the end, they chose to align themselves with Vale."

The Elder looked to the sky in thought. "I never understood the will of humanity to make enemies out of themselves. There hasn't been anything as grand as this Great War back in my world, but humans do tend to have a lot of disagreements." He looked back to the Wizard. "The law that forbids hunters to raise a weapon to other humans created after many… accidents, so to speak."

"And even with a common enemy, we still try to steal from everybody else." Ozpin's tone was nostalgic and sad, showing his own experience on the field. "Back on track, the war lasted 10 long and painful years. But it all ended in the Vacuo campaign and the decisive final battle. The armies of Mistral and Mantle faced the combined forces of Vale and Vacuo, lead by the king of Vale in an effort to support their ally. What happened in the battle itself is a mystery, but the armies of Mantle and Mistral were decimated and the title of Warrior King was given to the king of Vale after the battle."

Daur smiled. "Call it Elder intuition, but something tells me that you know something more about that king and the battle he was in, though don't let an old serpent's ramblings stop you. Please, do continue."

Ozpin chuckled, but said nothing about. "After said battle, the four kingdoms reunited in the neutral island of Vytal. There, the king abolished slavery and the laws against self-expression, and gave Faunus equal rights and the continent of Menagerie in exchange for their participation in the war and their previous mistreatment. The governments were also changed, from kings to councils in each kingdom and the huntsman academies were stablished." Ozpin drank the last of his coffee before finishing. "Of course, there is more to it, but its better if you read it yourself."

From under the table, Ozpin pulled a book and handed it to Daur. "'The Great War. Causes and consequences.' Very much appreciated, my friend. I shall read it whenever I get some free time. Watching over the Vanguard Facility is not as easy as it seems."

Ozpin nodded once and gestured to him. "In any case, I believe its your turn to speak."

Daur smiled. "So it would seem…"

* * *

 **I hope you enjoyed!**

 **Have a great day!**


	16. Chapter 14: Worst day ever

**A.N.: hello there! You will notice that this chapter is a bit shorter than usual. That's because if I had kept writing, the next part would have made this 10k words or so. Besides, it felt like a very good point to end the chapter rather than keep writing just for the sake of it.**

 **Also, I have noticed that this story is at the top of its respective crossover section in reviews, favorites and follows. And that is amazing. I can't thank you guys enough for the support this story is having. I honestly didn't expect too many people to read this, seeing as how this crossover section is rather small in terms of stories. Again, thank you all for the support. You are the ones that made me want to keep writing.**

 **With that said, enjoy!**

* * *

 **Bla** **ck Dragon, White Rose**

 **Chapter 14**

 **Worst day ever**

 **/ Gore P.O.V. /**

The moment Summer spoke, there was a silence far worse than the first one. I kept my feelers focused on the new arrival, not sure if she would try anything. In the back of my mind, I knew I had heard that name before, from Summer, in fact, but I just couldn't point what importance it had for her. I did realize that we weren't in the best position, though, especially if we had to protect the ones we rescued. Dalamadur was strong, but he was just one Elder forced to fight in human form.

So, I focused on my links and found the one I was searching for. Because as much as I liked Ruby, I doubt she would be of much help right now. _'Ozpin, can you hear me?'_

There was a moment of silence before the man answered. _'Ah, Gore, I was wondering what happened. Qrow has told me that you, Daur and Summer had gone after a lead on some less than desirable individuals, but I couldn't contact Summer's scroll. Is everything alright?'_

I looked at the woman and then back at Summer. _'I'm not exactly sure myself. But we need your help. There were a lot of kidnapped women and children, and I don't think we can keep them all protected by ourselves.'_

Another moment of silence before his voice came back. _'I'll warn Leo immediately. Where are you?'_

' _Close to the ruins Summer and I first met, I believe. Some strange underground cave system.'_ We had walked around those tunnels for a while, so I didn't know exactly where we were.

' _I think I know where you are. Leo will find you. I'll make sure of it. Be safe.'_ He said.

The exchange had only taken a few seconds, but I had the nagging sensation that the silence could go for hours. I tapped Summer's shoulder, which made hiss in pain before looking at me. Well, if that wasn't prove I didn't have control of my strength yet, I didn't know what was. _'Summer, we don't have time for this. I've talked with Ozpin and he will be sending help. You wanted to save the people trapped in here, didn't you?'_

Her head fell for a moment before nodding. "Yeah… yeah, you're right." She steeled herself and turned back to the masked woman. "What are you doing here, _Raven_?"

That seemed to make the other woman snap out of it. Raven… wasn't she...? "Summer. I wasn't expecting you to be here of all places. Did Ozpin sent you?"

Summer raised an eyebrow. "No. We found out about this place a few hours ago and decided to shut it down for good. Now, your turn. What do you want of this place? Because I doubt you and your… _friends_ are here to do a good deed."

The other woman didn't answer, not immediately at least. Her mask remained unmoving for several long seconds before she talked. "This group attacked my _tribe_ a few days ago, taking someone from us. We are here to take them back and… make sure it doesn't happen again."

Summer didn't seem too convinced by this, and she voiced it. "And what makes you think I'll let you take one of your bandits back with you? I'm a huntress, after all. It would- no, it _is_ my job to make sure people like them," she pointed her weapon at the bandits around us, "people like _you_ , are behind bars."

And there it was again, the silence. And I just kept trying to remember who this woman was! I knew Summer had talked about her before, but I just couldn't remember the conversation. "You are surrounded, Summer. You and your Faunus friend can't take on all of us at the same time. Just step aside and let us through."

The woman moved closer, but I stood between her and Summer and growled. I was taller than her, but not by much. "Growling? Really? Aren't you Faunus bent on proving that you are more than just animals?"

I had no idea what she was talking about, but I wasn't going to let her pass. That is, until a voice broke the silence. "I saw that animal move them behind this door, boss!" I turned to the bandit that had said that, as he pointed at the door. "We can't open it, though!"

The woman looked past me, to Summer. "I won't ask you again, Summer. Get out of my way." She spared a look at me. "And control your little pet."

Okay, that does it! I was about to lunge at her before Summer stopped me. "Gore is not my pet. He's my friend." She looked down and inhaled deeply. "So, that's it, huh? You leave your team, your _real_ family behind, without any explanation or way to contact you, and after all these years, that's all you've got to say? 'Get out of my way'? Do you even care about Yang? About how she's doing?!"

Oh! That's who she is! I can't believe I forgot that. Am I going senile? No, wait, priorities. The mother or Ruby's sis- _Yang_ , moved forward. "That's not-!"

"She's doing fine, just so you know." Summer cut her off. "She has a lot of friends and is going to go to Signal soon. She and Ruby can be quite the handful at times, but they are both very good girls." The glare that she sent to Yang's mother was darker than any I had seen her do ever since I knew her. "Even if one of them is still asking where her real mother is!"

By that point, I think the two of them had forgotten about the bandits surrounding them, who looked extremely confused at the exchange. "I had my reasons to leave! Even if you won't believe them!"

"What reason could make you leave behind your family?! Your friends?!" I stepped aside as Summer moved around me to be closer to the woman. I wanted to do something, but I knew I couldn't step in now. All the feelings coming from Summer told me that doing so would have… _painful_ consequences for me. "Did you even care about us?! About team STRQ?! Were we ever your friends, or just some nuisance you just had to deal with?!"

The woman remained silent. But Summer was having none of it. "Answer me! Take that fucking mask off and ANSWER ME!"

As I watched the exchange, I noticed some of the bandits sticking something to the metal door where Dalamadur was hiding the rescued people. I turned to them as they stepped away from the door. I began to make my way towards them, keeping track on the 'conversation' Summer was having, just in case. As I approached the pair that I had been watching, I noticed one of them holding something in his hand.

Meanwhile, behind me, the woman that Summer was talking to reached for her mask and took it off. She sighed and looked down. "Summer, I-"

She was cut off by the explosion coming from the door. All heads turned to the sound while I focused on the perpetrators. Before they noticed me, I grabbed the first one by the neck, though I broke it the next moment. His friend looked horrified and I just sighed. I seriously needed to get a handle in this form. He went to retaliate with a shout, but I swatted him away, hearing a crack as he did several spins before landing on the ground, groaning in pain and clutching the arm I had hit.

It seemed that the explosion finally snapped Summer out of her anger, as she bolted to block the entrance, with the dust still on the air. I moved to her side, noticing how Dalamadur had moved the group away from the door. Summer kept her weapon ready, as she glared at the bandits. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath, and I felt her calm down. She opened her eyes and focused on the woman. "I am Summer Rose, leader of team STRQ and a graduated huntress. The people behind this door are my responsibility, and I won't let some… some lawless bandits lay their hands on them. This will be your only warning."

I could still tell she was conflicted, but she wasn't letting her feelings get the best of her. "We'll do whatever we want, huntress!" Shouted one of the bandits as he rushed over. The dust was beginning to settle, even if the lights from the hallway barely illuminated anything. So it came as a surprise to all of them when, just as he was about to reach Summer, a tail with two spikes came from the darkness and impaled him, proceeding then to lift him off the ground in front of everyone.

A few steps could be heard before Dalamadur stepped into the light of the room, still keeping the guy in his tail as he brought him closer. He had a frown in his face that told me that he was in the same mood as Summer. Or almost. "I recommend that you listen to Miss Rose. She might be merciful enough to arrest you, but I most certainly" he threw the body off his tail and out of the hanger through the big opening on the side, " _won't_."

Yang's mother glared at him and donned her mask again. One hand reached for her weapon and unsheathed it, revealing a blade just as long as the ones from my world. "If you won't let us recover our lost member, we'll cut our way through."

Before anyone could act, a woman from the group Summer rescued when we entered the tunnels stepped between us. "Wait! Everyone, wait!" She was wearing worn out shoes and tattered pants. Her shirt wasn't in a better state and she used a hood made out of rags and cloth stripes to cover her head.

As she stepped between us, she slid down her hood, revealing her short black hair and green eyes. "I'm the one they're looking for. There's no need to fight." The masked woman sheathed her sword.

Summer's eyes went wide. "You… you are the lost Spring Maiden." She shook her head and stared at the new arrival with a confused face. "Why are you here? No, scratch that. What do you mean you are the member they are looking for?"

The girl grabbed her arm and rubbed it sheepishly. "I wasn't lost. I… ran away." She said. "I never wanted these powers. When I received them, they told me that I couldn't be with my family anymore. That I had to keep myself from forming bonds with other people." She seemed more distraught by every moment. "And when professor Lionheart started training me, the responsibilities kept piling up, and I just couldn't take it."

She looked at Yang's mother as she approached. "I ran until I reached Hikari, and then they attacked. I thought I would die, but when I used my powers, Raven spared me and took me in. She said that she would train me, but that I didn't need to have all the weight of Remnant on my shoulders."

"But it's your responsibility." Retorted Summer. "I know you didn't chose it but everyone has-"

"That's it! I never wanted these powers!" She shouted back. "They took me away from my family and friends, from my _life_! And I'm supposed to just accept that?!"

The masked woman intervened. "It's alright. You are weak, but I can help you. I know a way to take those powers away from you."

Summer looked at her. "What are you talking about, Raven? You know the only way for the powers to leave her is…" She seemed to realize something that instant. She tensed and readied her weapon. "No." The masked woman reached for her weapon when the other girl was distracted with Summer. "No! I won't let you!"

Summer dashed in a blur of petals just as Yang's mother unsheathed her sword in a quick strike. It all appear to slow down as I tried to reach for the girl. Luckily, Summer was fast enough to block the strike as the girl stepped away in fear. "Raven, what are doing?!"

But she didn't answer, instead pushing Summer away and trying to slice the head of the girl. Summer couldn't reach her this time, but I could. With extreme care, I wrapped myself around the girl, making the katana bounce of my back harmlessly as I held the girl. When I didn't heard any bones snap I looked down to be met with a face full of tears, but alive. I turned my head to Dalamadur, which was the only signal he needed to come close and put the girl behind him.

I turned around, facing the bandits and their leader as her and Summer had their weapons aimed at each other. My Elder friend was making sure nobody got through to where the people we rescued were, while Summer and I remained surrounded. "What was that?! What were you thinking?!"

"It was the only way for my tribe to be safe from _her_!" Answered the woman, as the bandits closed on us. "With the magic of the Spring Maiden, I can keep my people safe, away from Ozpin's manipulations! Away from Salem's schemes! Away from their damned Shadow War!"

' _Not much of a Shadow War if you shout it like that, but okay.'_ I thought to myself. I then addressed Summer. _'She may be Yang's mother, but if she behaves anything like this around Ruby or her, I can say without a doubt that you are a better parent.'_

That manages to get a small smile from Summer, but she focused back almost immediately. Yang's mother had her weapon pointed to Summer, while most of the bandits had theirs aimed at me. Not as if they would help them much, but whatever. Makes them easier prey.

Before the first shot was fired, though, a strange sound reached my ears. It was as if something was flapping its wings in the air extremely fast, followed by a strange beeping noise. The rest seemed to notice, and while they searched for the source my feelers got hold of three of the machines the humans used to fly, though they were strange in form. It wasn't long before someone shouted, _again_. "Mistralian ships!"

Said ships appeared on the open wall of the place we where in. The doors on the side of two of the machines opened to reveal several armed men and women, all in the same uniforms. The third one opened to reveal a group of four humans that jumped down of the ship, each one with different clothes and weapons. "This is the Mistral Police Force! Lower your weapons and surrender immediately!"

What is with sudden silences and shouting today! It's like a contest of some sort. A very annoying one. Though, I must admit, Ozpin was fast. "It's over, Raven. Put your weapon down." Summer's face took on a saddened look. "Please, come back to Yang. To us."

The woman seemed hesitant for a moment before ordering her bandits. "We are leaving. Now!" With that, the bandits opened fire while running through the tunnel they made. Summer managed to catch a few while I 'stopped' a couple. In the end though, they were able to cover their retreat, with Yang's mother giving Summer one last look before running away.

The police landed and started giving orders. "Huntsmen, stop them from getting away! The rest, I want three groups to divide and search the facility this instant!"

Dalamadur approached the person giving the orders. "We have rescued several women and children that need medical attention. Can you take them to somewhere safe?"

"We can do something better." He turned to two of his companions. "You two! Fetch the medics and help them with the equipment. We've got wounded and sick around here!" He turned back to Dalamadur. "We'll check their health and prioritize those with the worse condition. You can hop on when we go back to the city."

"Wait!" Yelled Summer before the man left. "How did you find us so quickly? My scroll doesn't have signal in here."

"Professor Lionheart received a call from Headmaster Ozpin." Explained the man. "He said something an abandoned underground prison south from the city, not too far away. The professor prepared a team in record time and assigned us to accompany them. Guess the info was correct."

After his words, Summer turned to me. "Did you do this?"

I nodded. _'I talked with Ozpin when Yang's mother showed up. I just had a bad feeling about that and I knew you cared about those we rescued, so I didn't want them to get harmed.'_

Summer smiled, but I could see a couple of tears falling on her cheeks. "Thank you. I… I still have a lot to think about but…" Without any warning, she hugged me. I took my time in doing the same, not wanting to hurt her in this form. "Thank you for being there for me these past weeks."

She was not having a good day, that much I could tell. And I still wasn't sure if that Raven was friend or foe. Wait, another person with the name of a bird? Are her and bird man related? They looked alike… Well, I can ask that later. First, we needed to get back to Patch and I needed to get out of this form. Not that I didn't like it, but I still haven't got used to it and I much prefer my normal form.

I smiled as this gave me an idea to cheer Summer up. _'Hey, Summer.'_ She looked up to me. _'If you want, I can fly you home.'_

She smiled and nodded. "I… I would like that, yes." He looked at the Spring Maiden, who was being guarded by Dalamadur. "But first I need to have a talk with her."

I nodded and let her go as Dalamadur approached me. "This is the reason for which I chose you as my apprentice." He said. "You do not hate humanity, even after all of what they did to you. You have several motives to want them dead, and yet, here you are, helping a human through her adventures and misadventures." He patted me on the shoulder. "I am proud of you, my friend."

That made a smile appear on my face. He was right on me having reasons to hate humanity, but I honestly didn't feel like that. At least, not after I avenged my brother. Humans are interesting creatures, just like us Elders: not two humans are the same. Each of them are their own individual, and judging them as a whole is a great mistake. It is true that not all of them are like Summer, but that doesn't mean all of them are like the hunter that brought me here.

I don't know if I will end up liking humanity as a whole, but I'm glad to have the friends I have right now, both human and Elder.

* * *

 **/ Summer P.O.V. /**

It was a bit hard, but I managed to convince the Spring Maiden to go with Leo. When I finally managed to talk to Ozpin outside the cave system, he said that he would make time to visit the Maiden personally and thanked me for my work. While that and the trip back to my family usually made me delighted, I had my mind away from reality through most of my trip back home.

And could you blame me? First, we find another monster and a hunter, then we rescue the people kidnapped by that band, and during that attack, my old teammate, who had left no trace after she disappeared on us, shows up and acts like a totally different person than the one that I used to know. Sure, Raven wasn't the nicest of people back in Beacon, but I managed to see through that rough personality of hers and I found a person who cared about her friends and actually enjoyed being on a team.

Or so I thought.

' _Argh! This is so infuriating! I thought I knew Raven, but now, I don't think I recognize the person I just met!'_ As I talked to myself, Gore flew fast through the air towards Patch. Even if he didn't truly dislike his new form, I could tell that he was more than happy to finally be back in the air like this.

Going back to my thoughts, I recalled the encounter. There were so many questions I wanted to ask her, so many things I wanted to know, and yet, she acted as I was just some pebble in her way. She didn't even appear to care about Yang, about her own _daughter_. And while I knew what Gore said was true, I was sure that Yang still wanted to find some answers about her mother. And my biggest fear for her was that, instead of finding the Raven _I_ knew, she would find the bandit tribe leader I faced today.

And sure, we did stop those human traffickers, but I didn't feel like celebrating. I just wanted to get home, rest and think about what has happened today, if Ruby and Yang let me. I smiled at the thought of my two precious daughters. I loved them with every ounce of my being, but I wasn't lying when I said the two could be a handful. Ruby was a really sweet girl, but she is always so energetic and cheerful that she rarely stays still in a single place for too long. Yang wasn't too different in terms of energy, but while she was a bit more controlled, she was already developing the mindset of punching through every obstacle she found, and was really hot headed when she lost her nerves.

Just like Raven… "*sigh*"

' _Is something wrong, Summer?'_ Asked Gore. Daur, who was behind me on Gore's back, also noticed my mood.

"Yes- I mean, no! I mean…" I sighed again. "I just… have a lot on my head. The kidnapers, Raven, everything about today, honestly. And not only that, but every single detail of what happened down there. Maybe… maybe I could have done something, I don't know. What if I had said something different, or if I had let her explain. Would she have come with us? I-"

Daur stopped me from rabbling when he laid a hand on my shoulder. "Do not concern yourself with 'what if's', dear. What has been done can't be changed, and turning and twisting your mind about it will lead you nowhere. If you truly want to bring her back, think instead about your next encounter, on what you will say and do." He gave off the same feeling as Ozpin did when he was giving advice to someone. "But do so when you have rested, when your mind isn't clouded by the feelings that you carry right now. Reach your home, spend some time with your family and clear your mind. I am sure you'll find the answers you are looking for or, at the very least, an easier way to find them."

Clear my mind? I wasn't too sure I actually could do that right now, but maybe it was for the best. That still left the question of if I should tell Tai or not. It was a pretty big hit for him when she left, and we danced around the topic for a long time, especially around Yang. Maybe it was also time to stop avoiding it and face it as best as we could. I don't know how Tai will react, but he deserves to know. She is not the same woman we knew, but he deserved to know what had happened today.

I was snapped out of my thoughts as my scroll rang. We were already close to Vale, only a few minutes away from Patch. Picking the device from my pocket, I noticed it was Tai himself who was calling me. I rather talk about this back home, but if someone had already told him, then the sooner the better. "Hello, Tai. What-?"

"They're gone, Summer!" His voice was full of panic and I could see the fear on his face. "They're not here!"

"Tai, what's going on? What are you talking about?" I was starting get nervous myself.

He seemed to realize his state and managed to explain, if only just barely. "Yang and Ruby are gone, Summer!" I felt my heart stop for a second. "I went to the settlement to buy some groceries while they played with Gore's sister, but when I got back, the three of them were gone! They took the small red cart Ruby has and I can't find them!"

I almost let go of my scroll then and there. _'Summer, what's wrong?'_

I looked to Gore. "Ruby and Yang… they have disappeared."

He didn't need anything else as he sped up towards Patch. I had to hold on to the ropes for dear life, although it did manage to return me to reality. "Tai, do you have any idea of where they could have gone?"

He shook his head, and I noticed that he seemed to be pacing around the house. "I have searched but I haven't- wait." He looked at something out of view of the screen. "Oh, no." he looked back at me. "I think I have an idea of where they may have went. The old picture of our team is broken. If she has taken it and read what it had on the back-"

"Then she is heading to the old cottage!" The photo was taken after a mission in Patch by an old man that lived away from the main settlement, much closer to Grimm territory than we did. He marked the location on the back of the picture, even if he later listened to our warnings and moved to Vale, leaving the cottage abandoned. "I'll go there immediately!"

"I've already called Qrow, but he said he didn't know if he could reach here in time!" His face turned sour and tears streamed through his eyes. "Please, Sum, we can't lose them. We can't…"

"No, we won't." I ended the call and addressed Gore. _'I think I know where they went. And your sister is with them. She will keep them safe, right?'_

He remained silent for a moment. _'I'm not too sure.'_ What did he mean by that? _'My sister will not harm them voluntarily, but if she enters a fight, she might lose control if nobody keeps her in check. With her mind as it is right now, she might see Ruby and Yang as enemies.'_

That made the blood ran from my face. "Then we need to get there now! I'll guide you there!" He didn't oppose, not like I thought he would, and he flew as fast as he could towards the island. We had already passed Vale, away from the main city for _obvious_ reasons, but the place was on the other end of the landmass, so we needed to be quick about it.

' _I think I can get a general location on where Ruby is thanks to my connection, but I'll need you to guide me from there.'_ He answered. I didn't know if Daur had gotten everything we just said, but by the looks of it, I think he got more than enough to understand the situation.

We reached the coast of the island, with Gore flying high above. He went directly over the main settlement, but none of us cared at the moment. We were high enough that the defenses wouldn't reach us and people would mostly see a black spot with two wings. They would think that it's most probably a Nevermore. They were a little bit strange to see on Patch, but nothing to unusual to report it as important.

After we passed the settlement, Gore descended and I ordered him to turn to the north-west, where the cottage was located. I didn't know for how long the girls had been gone, but it didn't matter right now. I needed to find them and bring them back home. I would hug them after making sure they were alright, then berate them for even thinking of doing this to us and then hug them again to make sure they were alright.

But first things first.

We approached the location, Gore slowing down to find a place to land. The problem for him here was that the forest here was far denser than in the rest of the island. Not only that, but the trees here were more robust and the braches thicker. All in all, a very bad place for a dragon the size of a small building to land safely. But even if he couldn't land, I wasn't going to remain still while my girls were in danger.

I stood up on his back. "Keep going until you find a place to land. I'm dropping here." Ozpin decided that the initiation to Beacon would be to launch students from a cliff into a Grimm infested forest. With the low height Gore was at now, and at this speed, this was child's play compared to that.

Daur stood beside me and nodded. We undid the ropes and jumped. I used my weapons to cut through the thick canopy until I saw a thick branch and used my scythe to turn around it and bleed my momentum until the third spin. I launched from the branch and landed, not bothering in sheathing my weapon. I looked back and saw Daur fall through all the branches and land heavily on the ground, though without a scratch.

He was about to say something until a scream cut him off. "Ahhhhhhhh!" I would recognize that voice anywhere in the world. Yang.

Without waiting for him, I dashed to the source, pushing my Semblance to the limit. It only took me a minute or so of following the old dirt trail until I reached the abandoned house. There, in front of said house, my two girls and Gore's sister were in front of three Beowolves. They weren't Alphas, but they had grown enough to be a threat by themselves.

Gore's sister was standing before Yang and Ruby, the former with some cuts and bruises, meaning her Aura was out. Ruby, on the other hand, was in the small red cart hugging her legs tightly as she looked at the Grimm. Gore's sister (who we still hadn't named) growled at the Grimm, trying to keep them away from my girls, but they weren't afraid.

The first one moved to the side while other clawed at her, distracting her attention from Ruby and Yang as the first one tried to reach them.

A decision it would come to regret not a second later.

As it was about to rip Yang's face off, I reached with my scythe, cutting its arm off before turning it upwards, stabbing the creature in the chest with the smaller blade and vaulting him over me, away from my daughters and missing an arm. The third one noticed my arrival and attempted to surprise me from my back.

He didn't last long as I turned around and cut it in half, making both sides fall to the ground dissolving. I heard the struggle from my side and noticed Gore's sister on top of the downed Beowolf, clawing at it with all her strength, making pieces of the Grimm fly everywhere.

I didn't have to time watch more as I was forced to dodge the Grimm I had left without an arm. His attack failed and he fell to the ground, right after I sliced a leg off. It howled in pain but I didn't let it recover. With another quick strike, I severed his remaining leg off before kicking it upwards.

I planted my feet on his remaining arm and inserted the canon of my weapon on its mouth. It growled and trashed, but I forced it took look me in the eyes. "Stay away from my family, you ugly son of a bi-" It was at this moment that I realized my two girls were looking at me. "biscuit!" And with that problem avoided, I shot it dead in the mouth.

Its head was blown into bits and begun dissolving. I turned to look at the last Beowolf, only to notice that it was already dissolving and that Gore's sister was slowly standing up, breathing heavily and looking down at the corpse. She had her back turned to me, and remembering Gore's words, I approached her slowly, not sheathing my weapon just yet. "Hey, are you okay?"

Upon hearing my words, her head snapped to me instantly and I could see her flaring her teeth and glaring at me with her one eye. I clutched my weapon tightly, but made no other moves. Looking at her eye, I could notice that she wasn't thinking clearly. Back when we first met, she was with Daur to keep her company and she seemed to calm down when she smelled the scent of Gore on my clothes, but now…

Wait, that may work!

"You can calm down. They're gone. The Grimm are dead." I said, as I approached her slowly. She didn't back down, but she didn't relax either. "Do you remember me? I'm Summer. I'm Gore's friend."

When I got closer, she sniffed the air around me a bit before growing confused. She blinked a couple of times before grunting and clutching her head. She then said something in a language I didn't understand, though for the most part it sounded like a mix of letters and growls. While I tried to reach her, I heard footsteps coming from behind me, and I spared a look back, finding Daur approaching us. He took in the scene and slowed down close to me.

He proceeded to approach her and laid a hand on her shoulder, making her look up. He then said something in the same language than her that made her breathing slow down and for her to relax. She answered him in that language once more, and noticing that the situation was resolved, I sheathed my weapon, just in time to almost fall as something grabbed me by the side by surprise.

Looking down, I saw Yang hugging me tightly and I noticed the wetness her tears were leaving on my clothes. I hugged her back almost immediately. The scolding could wait. "I-I'm s-sorry. I'm s-so sorry!" She said as she hugged me even tighter. "I-I found this p-picture of your old team a-and thought…"

"Shhh." I kneeled down and brought her to my chest. "I know. It's alright. You two are alright and that's all that matters right now." I smiled when Ruby joined us from my side and I brought her close in the hug. "That's all that matters."

We stood like that for a while. I didn't want to let go, and neither did they. In the end we all cried together, though I kept it quiet. I looked up from my girls and noticed Daur and Gore's sister standing there with smiles of their own. I mouthed her a quick 'thank you' before turning down to my daughters. "Okay, girls. It's time to return home, don't you think?" They both nodded eagerly.

It was at this moment that I noticed Gore approaching in his human form and sighing in relief when he noticed we were alright. He first went to her sister, making sure she was fine and then to us. I nodded to him and he nodded back. With that problem dealt with, turned and headed home, with Yang on my shoulders and Ruby being carried by Gore as she asked him questions about his new form. That seemed to have calmed her down a bit from the recent experience.

I honestly couldn't wait for this day to end.

* * *

 **A.N.: Summer isn't having the greatest of days. Neither are Yang or Ruby for that matter, but Sum has a lot of feelings and thoughts to sort through. Meanwhile, Gore begins his struggle with his new form, and he's going to need a** _ **lot**_ **of patience.**

 **Especially when he tells Summer that he will need help with the human language. Let the teasing begin…**

 **And before anyone goes ballistic on how some thugs could have kidnapped a Maiden, let me leave something clear: she doesn't know how to properly use her powers. Even if Raven knows about the Maidens, she doesn't know how to train them, and without any help from Ozpin or Leo, she has almost nothing on the ways of using her powers.**

 **Did you guys think I wrote Raven correctly? She is one of the few characters I truly find hard to write. She's just a mess of contradictions in my opinion. Not that she is a bad character, but I just find her incredibly difficult to write.**

 **Omake!**

* * *

 **T** **he Wizard and the Snake part 3**

Seeing as how the next topic in their conversation was more… private, the two elder beings asked for a table in the back of the main hall of the café. Alice was more than happy to provide, and so, the wizard and the snake found themselves on a table apart from the rest by a considerate margin. It was also separated from the main door, making so that no one would have the necessity to stride close to them.

"Ah, yes, these 'Creeps' you talk about." Said Dalamadur. "I found one the other day as I went for a stroll into the forest a few days ago. It gnawed at my leg for a while and, after proving the action fruitless, it dedicated itself to head-butt me for several minutes until I grew bored and killed it." He sipped on his tea with a small smiled on his face. "It was rather… amusing."

Ozpin chuckled. "Yes. To us, these types of Grimm are mere jokes when they are alone." He waved his hand. "But enough of that. You told me before that you were going to reveal them. Are you sure? Wouldn't that put them in danger?"

Dalamadur was quick to answer. "More than they already are? I doubt so." He calmly rested his cup on the table. "Being one of the Seven is already a danger in it of itself. You must remain away from other Elders and humans alike. The only beings you are allowed to talk to about this matter are the remaining six or your chosen apprentice. Albeit, the times are changing and I wouldn't be surprised if some of the other Keepers have already… foregone these rules."

"You don't seem too please by it." Said Ozpin.

"Don't get me wrong. It is their choice, and if they are ready for the consequences, then so be it." He shook his head. "The problem lies in that it affects our entire world, not just themselves. I will be telling you their names, for if the time comes that they reach this world, you can deal with them accordingly." Dalamadur proceeded to glare at the Headmaster, his tail rattling menacingly as he did so. "I am trusting you with this information because I believe you will not harm them in any way unless necessary. If I find you have made a misuse of his information…"

"I understand." Said Ozpin, calmly. "I promise your secret is safe with me."

The Elder calmed down and begun explaining. "You must understand that revealing the identities of the Seven to the wrong person may signal the begging of a new war in our world, or in this one."

"Now, where to begin." Pondered Daur. "Well, you already know about me. I have been a keeper for several centuries. I have seen many keepers pass away and many new others take their places, though I am not the oldest of them."

"Oh? There is someone that has been a Keeper longer than you?" Asked Ozpin.

The snake nodded. "Indeed. Two, in fact. Though, it has been a while since I last saw one of them. Even with his age, he has always been a wanderer. Probably the jolliest of our… merry band. He never had a hate for humans, and I've known of him camouflaging to get into their settlements to drink and party with them." He let out a laugh. "Ironic, really. Seeing as how he is just as big as me, with the capability of destroying a settlement just by walking by it. Humans named him Zorah Magdaros."

"And weren't you worried about him being discovered?" Asked the professor.

"Oh, yes, I was. Me and the remaining Keepers. But it never occurred." Answered Daur. "He always said that 'If you truly wish to know a human, invite them to a beer and fight beside them while they are drunk'. It seemed to work for him, so we never acted upon it."

Ozpin was trying to hide his smile behind his cup. "Well, he wasn't completely wrong." He said. "And the other one?"

This time, Daur turned serious, leaving behind all trace of playfulness. "Our leader. The first Keeper and the one that brought the Ancients down for their crimes. I wasn't alive by that time, but his power, while weaker now, it's still not to be trifled with. He is wise and calm, and even after the destruction of the old civilization in our world, he has allowed humans to grow and prosper, all in the name of balance. The humans have given him the name of the White Fatalis."

Ozpin rubbed his chin in thought. "He brought down an entire civilization?"

"Not by himself, but he was the main catalyst. Or so I've heard." Answered Dalamadur. "And I'm honestly inclined to believe it." The mood turned sour and silence reigned over them for a few seconds, only interrupted by the sound of the tables away from them. The Elder shook his head. "Enough. If the time comes for him to reach this world, I will assist you in talking with him."

Ozpin nodded and he too this as a cue to continue. "The next one is a close friend of mine. It has also been a while since I last saw him, but thanks to Midnight I know that he is alive and well. He is one of the newest members, even if he has long since stopped being young. His name is Kirin, and as you have already seen, he has already chosen an apprentice. Strange, if you ask me. This is the first Inferior I have seen that shows sentience, but even if others started to appear like her, their lifespan is still too short compared to an Elder."

Ozpin paid close attention as he kept talking. "Nevertheless, it's his choice, and I shall respect it." Said Dalamadur. "The next one is the one humans have named the Goldbeard Ceadeus."

Ozpin smiled smugly. "Let me guess, he has a very denotable blonde beard."

Daur smiled back. "Laugh all you want, Ozpin, but he is very proud of it and his horns. He is an undersea Elder. I haven't known him for long, but he isn't too keen on humans. He does know their place on the balance and respects it, but you will rarely see him in his changed form."

As he continued, Ozpin saw Dalamadur rub the back of his head, as if he was flustered by his following words. "The next case is… special for me. It is extremely strange, almost unheard of, that Inferiors and Elders alike choose a pair of a different species from their own as a mate, mainly for reproductive reasons. But love is a strange thing, is it not?"

Ozpin nodded, the face of the woman he once loved coming to mind, only to be changed by that of his now mortal enemy. "Yes… it is."

Daur noticed the change of humor of his friend, but paid it no mind and continued. "She was given the name of Amatsu. She was chosen not too long after I became a Keeper, and it was the first time for the both of us in the matters of love. We didn't care that we weren't compatible in terms of reproduction. Although, it did create a lot of 'teasing' from our companions, especially from Zorah." His reminiscence ended when he shook his head. "In the end, it was not to be, I guess. The distance between our territories kept us apart, and our duties didn't allow for much time for ourselves."

Ozpin allowed his friend to compose himself before mentioning the last member. "The final Keeper… She is not one that I prove of, in all honesty." Said Daur, now with a frown in his face. If it was for the lack of tea in his cup or for the matter at hand, Ozpin did not know. "Her name is Alatreon, the newest member of the Seven. Her master, an old Daora, chose her, but the reasons escape my comprehension. She is unstable, both mentally and with her powers. I think it's a miracle that she hasn't lost her mind and attacked a village or city by this point. Still, I can't voice anything against her to Fatalis, seeing as how she has been keeping care of her duties for now. I know without a doubt that most of the Seven feel the same about her, but nothing can be done unless she acts against us or the balance."

"And aren't you worried that, with your disappearance, this balance you speak of might be shattered?"

"I would be, but what would be the sense of returning if another Silver Eyed warrior could send me here later on?" Spoke Daur. "Fatalis can find someone worthy of my position, and if the time comes that the Seven are gathered here, in this world, I have no doubt that many would agree with starting anew here. Enough to pass it through a Vote of the Seven."

"Hmm." Ozpin pondered on his words while looking at his empty cup. "In the case that happens, I will try my best to keep you all safe. But you must understand that my duty resides with Beacon and Vale foremost."

"Of course." Daur raised his cup with a smile. "For the hope of our future, may it be here or far away."

Ozpin smiled back and clinked his own cup with him. "For the future."

Both of them glared at their vases afterwards, as if they had committed a terrible crime by being empty.

* * *

 **Reviews! (Seeing as how I don't want to clog this chapter with reviews, I'll answer only the ones of the previous chapter. If you want me to answer the rest, tell me)**

 **Knightwolf1875: almost, but as a potato once said, 'not today'. You'll see more of Raven in the future, be assured, but I wanted to go for a more emotional approach with Summer and her choosing her duty over her old friend.**

 **RabidArmenian: well, she was there to rescue someone, only for her own interest, of course.  
Don't doze off in class! You are lucky Oobleck isn't here young man – Glynda Goodwitch.  
Gore: *pulls out four lightsabers in front of a hunter* "Fool! I have been trained in your hunter arts by Count Ozpin!" *proceeds to spin to win***

 **Doctor Snake Eater: I'm leaning more on the switch axe, but it's still open. And do you mean like the ones of Fire Emblem?**

 **sleipnir34: no. He uses the link with Summer to see the world around him.**

 **TheLastBattalion: it's not a bad idea, but Gore has his own claws in the armor. It doesn't make much sense to put claws** _ **over**_ **his perfectly functional ones.**

 **Guest: maybe. I haven't decided yet, but it would be quite the challenge to write someone in the edge of losing themselves due to the pain.**

 **KirbKirb5412: good, goooood! Use your hate, my young apprentice!**

 **Raptorex: he was speaking about human vs. human war. The Great Dragon War put the dragons against the ancients because of the weapon, but, as far as I know, there have been no human against human wars in the MH universe.**

 **Guest: did you put a link or something? Or are you making a reference to something in the story? If it's the first one, it's not showing for me.**

 **IBR: I said this once, and I'll say it again: the transformations are** _ **not,**_ **and** _ **will not**_ **, be the main focus of the story. The only one that will be shown most of the time as transformed will be Dalamadur. The rest will only transform when the situation requires it (going to Vale in the future, meeting with other humans, etc). Even then, Dalamadur is the only one transformed most of the time because there are several reasons for it: where do you put a 4km snake in a place that is a) relatively easy to access, b) it's hidden from the public at the same time, c) nobody bumps into it by coincidence, d) it's not completely swarmed by Grimm and e) has enough space to host him.  
And if, for whatever reason, I move away from this path, I have you guys to get me back on track. And don't worry about abandoning it. If I end up running out of ideas or needing a rest from it, it'll be a hiatus, not leaving it abandoned. **

**I hope you enjoyed!**

 **Have a great day!**


	17. Chapter 15: Aftermath

**A.N.: hello there! Not much to say this time, only that I may tale the next week as rest. Its Easter here in Spain and I want to catch up on some games and just get some rest from university.**

 **Enjoy!**

* * *

 **Black Dragon, White Rose**

 **Chapter 15**

 **Aftermath**

 **/ Gore P.O.V. /**

"[They're still going.]" I mentioned to my sister. We were both in our normal forms on the back of Summer's house. When we returned, we had to make a bit of space by removing some trees, but it didn't took us too long.

"[Summer… scary…]" She said with a coarse voice.

"[Oh, you don't know the half of it, sister.]" We were both listening to the reprimand of legendary proportions Yang was being given by Summer and her husb- Taiyang. Mostly by Summer.

It had been a couple of hours since we returned here and they had been like this for at least one of those hours. Poor Ruby had been sent to sleep before, but I knew she wasn't on bed. Hard to be when you had Summer shouting in the same house. I could feel the anger that she had, but that was nothing compared to the frustration and worry that she emanated. I could understand her. After all, if we hadn't reached on time, she would have lost her two daughters.

It was also a strange scolding. One moment, you heard Summer berate Yang for not being careful and for putting her sister in danger, and in the next, she was on the verge of tears saying how much she loved them and how glad she was that they were both alive and with her. Then she kept rambling until she returned to being angry at Yang. I believe she has changed like this at least 3 or four times.

"[I think this is what some humans in this world call an 'emotional rollercoaster'. I don't know what a rollercoaster is, but I have the feeling that it describes this situation quite well.]" Said Dalamadur, who had decided to stay with us.

If it was because he wasn't needed or because of fear to Summer, I didn't know. And if it was the later, I didn't blame him.

After we reached the house, I talked with Ozpin and told me that the girl and the pair that came from my world would be spending the night where he kept the Lunastra. He said that the girl would be fine, at least physically. I hadn't have time to tell Summer all lf this and , honestly, as sorry as I felt for Yang, I didn't want to earn the ire of Summer by interrupting her in the middle of her outburst.

Finally, she sent Yang back to bed with a hug and a promise of punishment the next day. She and Tai spoke for a while longer but didn't stay up later than necessary. After Taiyang left upstairs, she came outside to the three of us, now in the clothes she wore when she was at home. "I'm sorry you guys had to hear that." She turned to Dalamadur. "Do you want me to prepare the couch for you to sleep? If you are staying in that form, maybe you want somewhere more comfortable to spend the night."

"I wouldn't want to be a bother, dear." Answered my friend.

Summer waived her hand. "Pfft. Nah, you aren't. I'll have it ready in a moment." She turned to go back inside, but stopped at the door and looked at my sister and me. "I… I know I've said this before, but thank you. I owe you both a lot." She smiled at us, her eyes still red because of the tears.

' _It's alright, Summer. Rest, you look like you need it.'_ She nodded to me and walked inside, followed by Dalamadur. It didn't take long for my sister to fall asleep after the house fell into silence. I, on the other hand, remained awake for a while. I didn't why, but I couldn't sleep for the moment, so I just stayed up and looked at the stars.

Before I met Summer, I didn't know what I was missing without eyes. Everything was just outlines in a faint tinge of purple. Sure, it was far more effective than normal human vision, but it didn't have the variety, the colors that the eyes could see. This was a gift I couldn't thank Summer enough for. She could just say no to me and forbid me from using our connection, but she doesn't.

And one of the many things I've come to appreciate most were the stars. It's true that they don't have the largest variety or that they weren't as colorful as a rainbow, but there was something in them that just… grabbed me in. The white shine they casted over the black night sky was beautiful, in my opinion. In a way, I think that now I understood why humans always wrote about them or were keen on drawing them when they had the chance.

Alongside them, the broken moon was also beautiful, if a bit… scary to look at. It wasn't that it was just cracked, but _something_ had blown it into pieces. It almost seemed lucky that it remained up there. Now, I knew of many Elders, that, given time, could have done _some_ damage to it, but whatever happened to the moon was in another power level entirely. If there was something out there that could do that, I don't know what would happen if it decided to come here.

I was pulled out of my musings as the door to the backyard opened. I was grateful for that, seeing as how I was starting to worry myself without reason. But I didn't expect Yang to be the one that came outside. She closed the door silently, holding a pillow and a blanket under her arms and moving quietly towards my sister. I knew she had grown fond of the two kids, but waking her up in the middle of the sleep wasn't a good idea.

I raised my head and growled softly, starting her for a moment. "S-sorry if I woke you. I-I just…" She pointed at my sister but I shook my head. I rather that she sleeps beside me than waking her up – for her own good – so I patted the ground close to me. "Y-you don't mind?"

I wasn't doing anything at the moment, and I could tell she wasn't feeling right, so I urged her to come closer. She walked slowly and laid the pillow beside to me. Now that she was closer, I could hear faint sniffling coming from her. I growled weakly and she turned to me, wiping the tears away. "I'm fine."

I proceeded to deadpan at her. I may not have eyes, but I think I am growing quite good at it. Good enough to get the message across, as she sniffled again and plopped down. "It's… I couldn't sleep, okay? Not with Ruby beside me. Every time I turned around, would see her and- and I would remember what happened today and…"

She hugged her legs close to her chest. "I-I was having nightmares, and I wanted to sleep with someone, but I didn't know if-if dad and mom wanted to be with me." She looked at my sister. "I thought she wouldn't mind if I…"

Her next words were muffled by the crying. I think I knew what she was going through, and, in a way, I could relate to her. Every time I visited my sister after she failed to Ascend, I blamed myself for not being there, for not doing something. Yang was blaming herself for what could have happened to her sister if we weren't there.

I didn't like seeing her like this. I may not have had a lot of interaction with her, but my sister liked her and, as a sort of older sibling, I could relate to her. She wanted to keep her sister safe, to make sure she was happy, just as I. It was at that moment that I felt her soul pulsating with mine, and a white line linked us both. Her Aura shined for a moment and she gasped.

Honestly, this Semblance of mine had either really good timing or a life of its own.

She wiped a few tears and looked over herself, as if searching for something that was wrong. _'Do not worry. It was just my Semblance. Now we are linked, just like Ruby and Summer are with me.'_

She remained stunned for a few seconds, before nodding and hugging herself again. Strange. Ruby and Summer had definitely different reactions. Was she really _that_ distressed? _'You are blaming yourself, aren't you?'_

She nodded. "I almost got Ruby killed. I-I shouldn't have brought her. I sh- I should have-"

' _But you are both here, safe and sound.'_ I cut her off before she could ramble again. I didn't know how to deal with kids, less if they were human, but I wasn't going to let her be like this. _'You wanted to know about your mother, right? Not Summer, but your…'_ Knowing who I was referring to, I chose my word wisely. _'Your_ other _mother.'_

She nodded. "Mom is great, but… I still want to know why. Why did she leave me? Why hasn't she come back?"

She was on tears again, so I decided to do something to tray and calm her down. _'I have an idea.'_ She looked at me through her watery eyes. _'If you promise me that you will keep Ruby and yourself safe, I will tell you a small secret of mine. Summer loves you both with all her heart, and loosing any of you… I don't want to see my friend like that.'_

It might not have been the right decision, but it got her attention. "Y-you will?" I didn't answer, and she caught up why fairly soon when I tilted my head to the side. "You want me to promise it?" I nodded. She smiled. "You don't need t-to worry. I already made that pinky promise to myself."

' _I still want you to say it.'_ I said.

She nodded eagerly. "I promise."

I nodded with a smile. _'I don't have parents.'_ That made her eyes widen and I explained. _'My species uses our virus to infect other living beings, using them as sustenance until we grow enough to break through them and we step to the outside world.'_

She blinked a few times before squinting her eyes and turning her head to the side. "Uhhhh…"

Right, smaller words. _'We use others as a way to protect us until be burst from inside of them.'_

This time she seemed to get her as she poked her tongue out in a face of disgust. "That's nasty."

I shrugged. _'It is what it is. But you have a mother and a father that love you a lot. And I don't need a connection with one of them to get that.'_ She kept listening, the part where I said we literally eat our way out from Inferiors all but forgotten. _'Instead of trying so hard to find someone that you don't know, be happy with what you have.'_

"I am happy!" She retorted a little too loudly. "It's just… I just…"

' _You want answers.'_ She nodded. _'But you almost got yourself killed, and Ruby too.'_ That sent a pang of negative emotions through her, though I kept going. _'What if the next time we aren't there?'_

This time, she looked back with determination. "That's why I want to be a huntress. To protect my sis and find answers."

' _But you are only 7.'_ I said. _'Wait until you are older. That way, you can make sure you are strong enough to protect Ruby and find what you need at the same time.'_

She looked down, lost in thought for a few moments. "You… you really think I can do it? That I can do both things at the same time?"

I shrugged again. _'I don't know, but can you do both now?'_ She remained silent and rubbed her arm. _'That's what I thought. I can't know if you will be able to, but growing stronger and more intelligent can only help you.'_

She turned to the house. "You think I can be as strong as mom?"

' _What's stopping you from trying?'_ I asked.

That left her in thought for the next few minutes. She remained silent until she nodded. "You're right." She said. "I can't do it like this. I will be strong enough to protect my sis and find my mother. I will go to Beacon and I'll be the strongest huntress ever. I'll make sure the Grimm are no longer in Patch and then…" She smiled. I could feel she was determined, happy to finally come to a conclusion. Or something like that. Human children are hard to understand. "Then I will find Raven."

She looked at me. "And I will keep my promise. I will keep Ruby safe."

After that small speech, the girl yawned and inched closer to me. Why did they always wanted to sleep close to me? Weren't they scared? No, wait, what a stupid question. They were Summer's kids, of course they would want to cuddle with the Elder that could bring the end of the world. I didn't know if it was this world or just this family, but their logic didn't make much sense to me.

Then again, to them I am a dragon that came from another world, rescued one of their family, made friends with them and is now working alongside another human and more dragons to keep this world safe from even _more_ dragons from the same world they all come from! Less than two weeks ago, I was laying lazily on my territory planning a visit to my sister. Now I went through all of that, and I had the feeling weren't even close to the end.

…

I don't know how, I don't know where, but I know someone or something is laughing at me right now.

And I don't like it.

* * *

 **/ Salem P.O.V. /**

I was _not_ happy.

One could even say I was furious, but, throughout the years, I have learnt to keep my emotions in check, to not show weakness. Humanity is easily swayed, but you must speak the right words and perform the right actions to make them do what you desire. Together, they are a force to be reckoned with, but divide them, and they would crumble like a house of cards.

Come to think of it, that would make for a great name for a political series. Hmm…

But back on the present, I kept glaring at Watts, who was clearly sweating, trying to hide his fear. And for good reason. Those who served me loyally were rewarded, but those who failed…

Then again, I couldn't kill the messenger. As much as I wanted to.

"You know I do not like repeating myself, so I will ask this only once." I said in a calm voice, though I was sure my frown was anything but calm. "How is it that the lost Spring Maiden, the one that had ran away from Ozpin's clutches, is now back with his inner circle?"

He gulped. "Well, it seems to be related to the fall of the operation Licorice was performing in Mistral for us."

"Explain."

Even with all his fear, he managed to not stammer as he spoke. "By the reports my contact on the MPF **(A.N.: Mistral Police Force)** sent me, the tunnels where they where guarding the kidnapped people were assaulted by a bandit tribe in an attempt to recover one of their own. Turns out, that member of the tribe _was_ the Spring Maiden. I'm assuming that they knew who she was, as they risked a lot for just one member."

"And, pray tell, how did a bandit tribe know about the Maiden powers?" It was on the realm of possibility that the Maiden had told them for some reason or another, but even then, she must've been on the tribe for a couple of weeks at most. Unless it was a extreme situation, I doubt a Maiden would revealed her secrets.

"That would be because it was no random tribe either." He said. "It was the Branwen tribe."

Of course. The puppet that cut her strings from Ozpin and ran away, leaving behind her brother and team. That would explain how she knew about the Maiden and her powers, and why she risked almost everything to get her back. That still didn't explain how she returned to Ozpin's claws, away from my reach. "But the stray bird wouldn't just let that power go after all the risk that she took."

"No, my lady. That would be the work of a huntress and her companions." Of course. Who else but the wizard's little puppets? "One specific huntress in fact: Summer Rose."

That name made my blood boil for a second before I calmed down. I had heard word that she had returned to her home on Vale, but she had been quiet for a while. "My contact said she was accompanied by two other huntsmen wearing armor. One of them was completely covered by it while the other lacked a helmet. As for a description, it's better if you take a look yourself."

He handed me an opened scroll with an image in it. It wasn't very clear, but clearly showed the pestering Rose and her two companions, albeit with their backs turned to the camera. One of them was taller than the people around them by a good margin, and by the tail and the only visible eye, I could tell he was a Faunus. A reptile of sorts. His hair was completely white and his face showed sings of aging, albeit not extremely old. His armor was made of some kind of material that resembled silver and white scales, with black lines along the sides of the armor. Several spikes protruded from the shoulders and back, very similar to those in the tail. He cut an imposing figure, and I could tell that he was experienced in combat.

He was dangerous.

Beside him, Summer Rose and her signature white cloak stood. She had become a sore sight for my eyes lately. But what drew my attention was the last figure in the picture apart from the officer the rose was speaking to. It was completely clad in a black and purple armor that almost seemed to drain light around it. The purple parts glowed faintly and he, as the armor definitely had a male figure, had a cape that reached to the ground, with a hood on it, and seemed to be modeled after wings of some sort, held together to the armor by a decoration in each shoulder that looked like claws. The helmet, which was looking in the direction of the camera, had to small cuts that I would have mistaken as eyeholes, but they also shined faintly in purple as the rest. Over them, two hors were modeled pointing backwards.

It was a design I had never seen, and while the older huntsmen was intimidating, this one appeared to be made with the intention of causing fear. The cape covered most of his body from where the picture was taken, so I couldn't see anything else of that armor. "As you can see, those armors are nothing we have seen before. Their design is strange and I can't figure out the material they are made of. The don't look like metal or steel, but there are no animals on Remnant that have those scales."

"They are unknowns." I finished for him. "And they are working beside Ozpin's Silver Eyed puppet. Mark them. We need to know _everything_ we can about them." I handed the scroll back and he began typing on it. "I'm still curious as how a response team from Mistral reached the caverns so easily. The CCT does not each there, and the mountain blocks the short range communications."

"I'm afraid I do not know, my mistress." He answered with fear. That created a problem, though. If Ozpin had discovered the site before, had he learnt of the attack from the tribe and used it to his advantage? I wouldn't put it past him, but that's still a lot of coincidences. "On another note, we found Beige, or what remains of her. Tyrian found what was basically, well, a puddle of blood, organs and bones in the site where the battle against Summer Rose and Qrow Branwen took place. He was barely able to identify her, but we have confirmed it is indeed her."

Now that was strange. Summer Rose, while not as naïve as she looks, isn't that ruthless or bloodthirsty to do that, neither is Qrow Branwen. "Do we know what happened to her?"

He shook his head. Today was filled with disappointments from this man. "There were some strange sings of battle, but I believe that most of the destruction was caused by the Grimm." That didn't came as a surprise. "Nevertheless, I've ordered for Tyrian to come back, seeing as how his mission in Mistral has ended."

Not a bad call, but I hadn't given that order. "Very well, Watts. You may retire." The man nodded and he made his way to the door, hastily but calmly at the same time. "And Watts." He stopped and turned around. "You'd do well in remembering who gives the orders here next time. Understood?"

The man gulped and nodded. Bowing one last time, he exited the door. I turned and faced the red plains that made my domain. The hit we had taken on Mistral would delay our operations there, especially regarding the headmaster of Haven. But it was just a minor setback. Licorice was a mere pawn. Disposable and easy to substitute. I would find another in due time.

For now, my interest was settled on the rose and her companions. I had also noticed that none of the two seemed to be wielding weapons. The black one could have it concealed under the cape, but even still, they must've been extremely skilled or lucky to fight against Licorice's Semblance. That was one of his few redeeming factors, but Semblances were varied and powerful.

Everything would fall into place eventually. No matter how many hidden cards you have, Ozpin, you can only delay the inevitable.

* * *

 **/ Gore P.O.V. /**

The next day, I woke up with Yang sleeping with her head on my stomach. A few minutes later, life stirred on the house. After a short talk with Yang, the family went on their normal morning routines while me and my sister went to catch fish for breakfast. Even if she was still in pain, it seemed that, ever since she arrived on Remnant, she has been thinking clearer. She is able to speak more fluently and she's been far more calm than she usually was. Maybe it was the Essence, or maybe being with Yang and Ruby made her feel better.

I was just glad that she was taking steps forward. Small ones, but an improvement nonetheless.

Later in the evening, Ozpin called for Summer and I to go to the place where we had sent the girl and the pair from my world, and to take Dalamadur with us. An hour later, I was landing outside one of the buildings and following Summer and Dalamadur as they were guided by a guard. I could tell that they all looked at me with fear and whispers, some more than others, but at this point, I barely cared. I trusted Ozpin and it was far better that having hunters after your head.

And while I could transform, I was far more comfortable like this. If the guards were scared, that was not my problem.

We entered through a door bigger than me and moved to one of this things that humans call 'elevators'. I had seen a few back on my world, but this one was big enough for me, with space to maybe even keep my sister at the same time, and it was far more advanced. What humans lacked in strength, they made up for it in ingenuity. Even if I had already used it the last time I was here, it still impressed me.

Something I had taken notice of was that, while there were halls upon halls that I could fit in, there were other smaller ones that were only for humans to move around. Honestly, if it wasn't for Summer knowing her way around, I may have lost myself a while ago. I would have found my way eventually, and my feelers impeded me from actually getting lost, but the impression was still there.

We found Ozpin waiting in front of pretty big metal door. "Ah, just in time. It is nice to see you all in good shape. Have you rested well?"

Summer smiled and stretched her arms upwards. "Could've slept a bit more, but I think we're all fine."

Ozpin nodded and signaled to a small cabin on one of the walls, making the door open slowly. Like, _really_ slowly. It didn't look as if the door was to heavy to lift, just that it was designed that way. For Ozpin and the rest, they only had to wait a few seconds for them to pass, I had to wait for at least another 8 seconds to finally duck my way in.

Behind the door was another hallway, but this one was completely in white and brightly illuminated, while the rest of the place was in a deep blue. To each side there were windows that went from the waist of a human to a bit under my wingarms. Inside, I could see several humans moving around and doing strange things with even stranger objects.

"This are the laboratories." Ozpin said, as if that explained what was going on the other side of the crystals. _'Do I seriously need to remind him I'm_ not _human?'_ "The people here dedicate themselves to investigate everything related with the creatures coming from the other world. Right now, we only know of five: Gore and his sister, Daur, the one that Gore and you captured and Midnight."

As I listened, Summer glanced around, impressed at what she was seeing behind the glass. "How do you keep this away from the Council, Oz? They're bound to find about something like this eventually."

"Indeed. They will find out." We turned a corner and kept walking.

Seeing as how he didn't continue speaking, Summer skipped to his side. "You already have something planned, don't you?"

Ozpin stopped and turned to us, a smug smile on his lips. "Yes. It will require timing and precision, but by the time the Council discovers this base, they will want to keep it, and what we are doing in it, completely operational." He sipped on his- wait, he didn't have a cup a second ago! Where the hell does he get them from?!

We reached another door that he opened with a panel on the side. If we are going to be doing things in this place, he better find a way for us to move around without having to transform at _every door_ we find just to open it. It would be a hassle.

The door opened to reveal a… okay, that is pretty big. It wasn't a room, it was far too big for that. It was an open space, big enough for it host a literal army of Elders and Inferiors. To one side, several of the machines humans used to fly laid in wait. Several people went around the place, carrying boxes and doing different things. There were other entrances to the rectangular space we were in, and looking upwards I noticed that the ceiling resemble one of the doors we passed on our way here. Did that mean it could…? Nah.

Or could it?

Giving another look, I noticed the Inferior and the hunter on one of the corners of the room, talking to the small girl that was with them. The Inferior was transformed and was showing her weapons, dual blades if I wasn't mistaken, to the girl while the hunter kept an eye on them. Ozpin signaled us to follow him, and I kept looking around, impressed at this place. Sure, it was just a big, metallic room, but the amount of work that it must've been put behind it was astonishing, especially coming from humans.

We came close to the three and the hunter turned to greet Ozpin, while Inferior sent a glare my way. Oh, right, I had beaten her and she wanted revenge in that form. At least she didn't look like any of the wounds I had caused her were too dangerous. "It's good to see you, Headmaster. Thank you for letting us stay in here."

"It was of no trouble, Mr. Pendragon. We had to make sure that miss Midnight was alright, alongside with the child that you rescued." Answered Ozpin. "How is she?"

I turned my attention to the small girl. She wasn't wearing rags anymore and her hair and face were completely clean from the dirt that she was covered in. Her clothes consisted of a couple of shoes, black pants, a white shirt and a coat. With her hear now clean, I noticed that it was pink and brown at the same time. It was a strange combination, but she did look quite cute in that outfit and with that scared look- wait, why was she-?

Oh, yeah. I'm still a dragon several times bigger than her.

Summer turned to me with a pout. "I told you to land and transform, but nooo, Mr. I-don't-feel-comfortable-when-I-transform couldn't do it! Now you're scaring her!"

I frowned. _'Hey! It's true! It's going to take a while until I get used to it!'_

"I don't care! Look at how scared she is!" At this point, I could see the girl was more confused at the argument going on in front of her rather than my form. "C'mon, Gore, please."

I looked to Dalamadur, asking for his permission. He was a Keeper after all. My friend just sighed and rubbed his nose. "At this pace, there's going to be no secret left to keep. Because _some of us_ " he directed a glare to the Inferior, who laughed awkwardly, "forget that this is not supposed to be common knowledge." He sighed again. "Fine, but somewhere that is not filled to the brim with humans we do not know or trust, if it's not much to ask for?"

Ozpin realized this and guided us to one of the rooms like the one the Lunastra was being kept, only this one was empty. Summer turned to me with a pleading look, but at this point I had figured she was planning something. Sure, the girl was still wary around me, but she had mostly calmed down during our walk here. No, Summer wanted something. And knowing her, I better figure out what for my own sake.

' _Okay, Summer. What do you want?'_

She was startled for a moment before laughing nervously and looking away. "Whaaat? Whatchu talking about? I'm just doing this because she's scared."

' _Sure, and I am an Aptonoth.'_ I couldn't deadpan without eyes, but I could very well make the muscles on my face do something similar. _'Summer…'_

It didn't take long for her to relent. "Fine, I wanted to have another video of you stumbling around…"

Wait, _another_?! When did she- Oh, no.

' _You did it while I was on the ruins?'_ "You have what of him stumbling?"

I looked at the Inferior when I heard the question and she had a very amused smile on her face. "A video. Let me show you." Summer reached to her pocket and pulled her 'not-a-scroll'. "See? With this I can- hey!"

I snatched the thing from her hand with my wingarm and held it out of her reach. _'You don't get to embarrass me like that!'_

Suddenly, an idea appeared in my head. The thing may leave a bad taste if I go down with it, but I get to make a little fun of Summer. I smiled and inched the device closer to my mouth slowly. Summer's eyes widened. "Don't you dare…"

I moved it closer and-

"SUMMER CHOP!"

Ow! How in all the Ancients does that hurt so much with my Aura on?! I rubbed my head while Summer sheathed her sword and picked up the scroll, with the group around us laughing and chuckling. "Now, transform and I promise I won't record you."

I grumbled while I focused, still hearing the laughter of the group. At least the girl wasn't scared anymore, even if that wasn't Summer's true objective. Though when I was in human (or is it Faunus in this world? Meh, Ra-tha-los, Ra-ta-los. One and the same) I heard something that did anger me. "Oh, look at him! The holier-than-thou Elder treated like a house pet."

I was about to retort, but Summer beat me to it. "Hey!" She glared at the Inferior. "He's not a pet. He's my friend. And be careful around this world to who you say that to. Some Faunus consider those types of insults very offending."

This made the hunter ask about the Faunus. I had seen a few on the place we attacked. Honestly, they weren't very different to humans in smell or heat signature, but it was still a surprise to see a kid looking at me with two extra pointy ears. Honestly, I would be interested on what Ozpin had to say…

If I hadn't heard it already. Sure, there was still a lot to learn about this world, but knowing Dalamadur, he would make sure he is knowledgeable enough to pass as a native. And with his help I could be too.

But that was a matter for later on. While they spoke, the Inferior came close to me. "Your friend can be quite scary. Overprotective much back there?" Her words reminded me I had to still get a good grasp on human language.

Urgh. Another thing to the 'to-do list'.

I looked at Summer, who was playing with the kid as if she was Ruby or Yang. _'Note: leave Summer to handle children in the future.'_ "[Can you blame her? She has two kids and has already lost a friend for reasons that escape me.]"

She winced at that. "Oh, I'm sorry. I-I didn't know." She then blinked and looked at me. "Wait, what do you mean by 'reasons that escape you'?"

I shook my head. "[I've already said too much. That's a personal matter that she will tell you if she chooses.]"

"Well, if that's how it is." She said. "But enough of that. You and I have a fight pending, Elder!"

I shrugged. "[What's the point? In this form, you'll defeat me with ease.]"

"Cocky, aren't we? Well, let me tell you- wait what?" She looked at me, stunned. Why was she surprised, I didn't understand. It was quite obvious, honestly. "You… you are admitting defeat?"

I turned to her and crossed my arms. It was something I couldn't do standing and that I had seen Dalamadur a few times when he was serious or wanted to be imposing. "[You have years of training in that form, not to mention weapons and your… strange abilities. My first transformation was _yesterday_ and I can barely measure the strength in my attacks, much less balance them and land them correctly. The only advantage I have right now is strength.]"

"[Furthermore, you have actual hunter combat training. It may not be directed to fight human foes, but its training nonetheless. If you really want a fight, you will have to wait until a have some sort of control over this form]" I said as I examined a claw in front of my face. "[Or maybe you just want to inflate your broken ego? Didn't it heal with your bones?]"

She glared at me and growled. "I do not need to inflate my ego! I just wanted to have a rematch, this time on my terms. And you also had several advantages when we fought!" By this point, everyone in the room was looking at us.

"[You're right.]" I admitted. It was true that, back then, I had strength, age, wisdom and size on my side. She was perplexed once again. "[Fine. If you want you fight, let's fight.]"

"Well, Ancients be damned. An Elder that admits mistakes." She said. "Even Kirin was a bit stubborn when it came to this."

"Which reminds me that we later need to talk about your mission here." Said Dalamadur, approaching the hunter. "And I must say that I take offense to that. We Elders aren't like that. Well, not _all_ of us, at least."

The Inferior raised an eyebrow, seemingly not impressed by his words. "You two are the exceptions. Trust me, I have faced many Elders that tried to harm my village. They weren't the kind of people to admit their faults." She pointed at Dalamadur. "And you know I'm right."

I agreed on this with her. Most Elders behaved as if everything belonged to them, and everybody else was under them, even other Elders. And when referring to Inferiors, they were seen as nothing more than animals. I could understand that any Elders that she encountered treated her like a mere nuisance. Seeing as how she was alive and well, that arrogance must've cost them dearly.

Don't get me wrong, I have my own pride. But I'm not stupid enough to think that I could beat her with the odds against me like that. I try to keep positive, but I won't fool myself like that.

My friend sighed. "Very well. I will admit that we Elders can be… _difficult_ to deal with at times."

That seemed to be enough for her and she nodded. Summer approached us, with the girl holding one of her hands. "I've spoken with Icharias. He's told me that she will be fine. The doctors have told him that she will need a bit of help with her nutrition, but she will recover fully." She smiled and looked at the girl, who looked to be comfortable beside Summer. "I'm not leaving her here. This is not a place for a child to be, and I'm not leaving her on an orphanage."

"I wouldn't mind allowing her to stay at Beacon, but she is too young and, with the new year coming so soon, we can't afford looking after someone in the academy." Mentioned Ozpin, coming closer with the hunter to his side. I will admit, I was a bit wary around him. Not because he would attack me, but more out of a force of habit. "I'm assuming you will be taking her, then."

Summer looked down at the girl, who looked up to her. "I will be hard to adapt, but leaving her alone in Remnant… I don't think I can do that."

"Then I think I can help, at least economically." Said Ozpin. "If you are having one more mouth to feed on your house, then you will need it."

Summer smiled. "Thank you, Oz. It's appreciated." She looked down at the girl, who smiled brightly, almost in tears. Summer hugged her and the girl reciprocated. Summer looked up Ozpin. "And with recent developments, I think I will be taking missions closer to home."

"That is understandable. I will send you the report the medics have given for her." He looked at the girl. "Though she still needs a name. I'm afraid that she is not registered in the CCT in any way or form."

Summer nodded. "Sure. But I think we'll go over it later. What do you think?" She turned to girl. "What if we wait to get home and we think about it over a cup of ice-cream? I'm sure the girls will be delighted to have someone else to play with."

The girl wiped the tears from her eyes and nodded. I smiled myself at the scene. There were many reasons I considered Summer my closest friend, one could say she was family, even if we had met only a few weeks ago, and one of them was her kindness. I may not be as nice as her, but I know that she will accept anyone that is willing to be her friend, no matter who or what they are.

"Well, this is very nice and all, and I'm happy for you, really, I am, kid. But tall, dark and scary here still owes me a fight." Said the Inferior, stepping between us. "And I'm seriously itching to fight him."

Summer nodded and everyone exited the room we were in, now behind the glass watching the two of us. She moved to one side and I went to the other. I had no delusions of winning, but I wasn't going to let her have the win so easily. Seeing as how she used dual blades, I assumed that she would go for speed over power, just like in our previous battle. Normally, I had the size advantage over a hunter, but this body was going to be a hindrance.

I raised my eyes and looked at the Inferior, and she was smiling. But it wasn't a cruel or evil smile. There was no malicious intent behind it, and her posture was relaxed but ready. At that moment, I noticed that she wasn't fighting for revenge or pride, but just for the fight itself. I may have misjudged this Inferior. Maybe she was better than I thought. But the only way to prove it, the only way to make sure of all of this, was to fight.

And she wasn't going to be the only one enjoying it.

* * *

 **A.N.: aaaaand cliffhanger! I know, I know, I'm a jerk, but putting the fight in this chapter would make it impossible for me to release it in time. And Neo goes with Summer, because she can't help but recues every puppy in the street.**

 **Or child. Or otherworldly dragon.**

 **Short Omake! (Non-canon)**

* * *

"A falling star!" Shouted Ruby, looking from the window on her room. Her sister, Yang, sits beside her, both staring at the sky. It had been a few months since Summer disappeared on her last mission. Their father wasn't the same, and Yang had noticed that she was going to need to take care of her sister herself.

"I call it! Get out! Get out!" Noticing the star, Ruby starts pushing her sister out of the room. "Can't you go any faster?"

Deciding to play with her sister, Yang begins to fall back on her. "Oh, no! Gravity is increasing on me."

Ruby pouts and keeps pushing, with the added weight of her falling sister. "No, it's not!"

"It is too, Ruby." Says her sister. "The same thing happened yesterday."

Finally falling on Ruby, both sisters end up on the floor. "You rotten sister! Your butt is crushing me!" Finally managing to push her sister out, she slams the door closed. "Why do you act so weird?!"

Turning back to her bed, Ruby kneeled in a praying posture. She looked upwards. With out her noticing, Yang had opened the door slightly, and stared at her sister behind the door. "It's me again. I need someone to be my friend… someone who won't run away."

Yang kept listening in silence, worried about her sister. "Maybe send me an angel… the nicest angel you have."

 **Meanwhile, close to Vale…**

In the middle of the Emerald Forest, a crater had formed where a meteorite had landed. Flames covered the place, and the grass around the fallen rock had disappeared. Trees were destroyed around the place, and the few Grimm that were unlucky enough to be on its trajectory had already vanished in smoke.

From the meteorite itself, a black smoke rose. It wasn't as black as the one the Grimm exuded, more of a purple tinge on it. If one looked closer, and had good enough sight, they could notice that the smoke and fog were made of small black and purple hairs and scales. Unknown to the habitants of this world, these hairs and scales carried a deadly virus.

The meteorite didn't remain still, though. It cracked and moved until one wing sprouted from inside of it. Another followed, and the meteorite opened with several cracks on it. The stone fell apart, revealing a black and purple dragon, with no eyes and two claws on its wings. Just as the rock fell, the creature roared. And upon noticing the presence of life away in Vale, the creature laughed maniacally, focused on the future chaos it would bring.

* * *

 **Reviews!**

 **proiu: thanks for the review.**

 **Knightwolf1875: she's been mostly fine. The doctors don't need to know what she really is, and with most of the focus on little Neo, she's been hanging mostly fine.**

 **RabidArmenian: as it's usually said, karma's a bitch, and right now, Raven is on the bad end of the spectrum. Thank you! Your support is appreciated. Grandpa Zorah is best grandpa. Well, obviously Obi-Wan Kenobi. He ALWAYS has the high ground, the most powerful buff out there. Though Ruby is on his shoulders, so she has the high-HIGH ground!**

 **Doctor Snake Eater: hey, that's how love works! And as for the Shah, I'm thinking about it.**

 **darkvampirekisses: the weapon is something that I'm working on. And the Aura with his sister is an idea I have been wondering for a while. Aura protects from** _ **external**_ **damage as far as we know, but the pain from Gorey's sister is coming from herself. Then again, Aura comes from one's soul, and we know very little about it, so I'm not sire how it would work.**

 **Neb: LET ME IN! LET ME IIIIIIIIIIIN! *Ehem* Sorry. Ya know, maybe I'll do something with the two of them, even if its just an omake. I shall see.**

 **Guest: well, yeah, it wouldn't make much sense to talk about them to not show them later. Though I don't expect them too soon.**

 **Guest: if they find a place to put him without making people notice, sure.**

 **I hope you enjoyed!**

 **Have a great day!**


	18. Chapter 16: Elders and Inferiors

**A.N.: hello there! Sorry it took me so long to post this. One of my teachers decided to tell us on Friday that we were going to have a test on Monday. That obviously left me without any time to write on the weekend, and I didn't find it in myself to write on most of Monday.**

 **But enough excuses. You're here for the chapter, not to hear to the story of my life.**

 **Enjoy!**

* * *

 **Black Dragon, White Rose**

 **Chapter 16**

 **Elders and Inferiors**

 **/ Summer P.O.V. /**

While it was true that we were far safer behind the crystal, I still had my doubts it would hold against those two. I wasn't worried about myself: if the glass broke, I could just simply zip away with my Semblance, but my worry was due to the child I had beside me, still holding my hand. I didn't know how old she was. The medics had said that they would give us a more detailed report on her later on, but if I had to guess, she might have been around Yang's age, maybe older.

The problem was that she had no identification and we don't know how long she had been in that hellhole. We don't even know she had parents, for the Gods sake! But whatever the case, I wasn't going to let her out in the streets just like that. And while not all of the orphanages in Vale were bad, they were already crowded and not knowing if she was going to be taken care of left me uneasy. I can't imagine putting my girls through that, and while I can't help all the children around Vale, I can help this one at least.

That, and the fact that Ozpin wouldn't allow her to just up and leave. After seeing all of this, it would be stupid to leave her without supervision. Not that he would harm her, mind you, but letting a child that knows our secrets at the reach of Salem and her cronies is not a good idea.

I centered back on the two at the other side of the glass when I noticed the girl pull out her weapons. I would have called the fight unfair, seeing as how Gore didn't have one, but I doubt he cared right now, and he had Aura to compensate. At my side, Ozpin and Icharias watched with interest. The hunter still hadn't taken his helmet off, and while I didn't care too much about it, the armor was a bit… creepy. Daur was at my other side, watching with far more interest the fight to come.

 **(Play: [Glitch Hop / 110BPM] - Pegboard Nerds and Tristam - Razor Sharp [Monstercat Release] (0:43))**

They stilled for a moment before launching at each other. To the untrained eye, they could have almost vanished, but I could see them reach each other. Though it was fairly clear who had the advantage in this first charge, as Midnight ducked under the extended claws of Gore and sliced at his stomach. Using his momentum against him, she positioned herself behind and kicked him on the back _hard_ , making him roll over and fall.

Taking the chance, she jumped at him, only to be grabbed by the wrists at the last second and thrown away from him. He rose from the ground and charged again, hoping to catch her before she recovered. She was faster, though, and blocked one of his claws with her blade, the other coming down to his face… helmet?

Gore grabbed both blades and began to push down on her. It was her time to be on the losing side as she could not hope to match him in pure strength. Instead, she smiled and fell back, dragging Gore with her before putting both legs on his abdomen and kicking him away in the direction he was pushing, right to the wall.

The two stood up, and I noticed Gore shinning purple. I didn't paid it much more thought as they charged again. Gore started clawing at her , but it wasn't hard to see that she was trained in this form. She dodged and parried the strikes, landing a few of her own. She was faster than him, but she knew that blocking his attacks would be of no use.

And while Gore tried to reach any part of her body within reach, Midnight prioritized. Gore's attacks were still a bit out of control, overextending and missing far too much, leaving him open for counterattacks, which she used to her advantage quite effectively. Her strikes were measured, and while it showed that she didn't have a record of fighting with human opponents, she was definitely experienced and adaptive.

During this scuffle, I noticed how the purple lines in Gore's stomach and chest had been growing brighter and brighter. He miscalculated his next strike and she used this to her advantage by tripping him with her tail, throwing his leg upwards and making him spin. To her shock, Gore reacted immediately and brought _his_ tail right to her face, sending her stumbling backwards and holding her nose in pain.

Before Gore could make use of the opening, she recovered and threw the spikes on her tail at Gore, forcing him to stop and cover himself with his wingarms. By the time he uncovered himself, Midnight was already on him, and proceeded to spin both blades upwards while jumping, slashing at his face and sending him backwards. Not done yet, she darted closer and sliced at his chest a few times before kicking him away.

He went stumbling backwards, but used his wingarms at the last second to stabilize himself. She began charging again, realizing too late that Gore wasn't planning on stopping her. He extended his horns and roared with more power than any human is able to muster from their lungs. It was dampened by the crystal on our side, but Midnight got the worst of it, as she had to stop and cover her ears. The room had also taken on a dark purple hue and the air itself seemed to be darker in it.

Gore used this chance to rush her. She managed to put her guard up, but none of us were expecting Gore to jump with the help of his wingarms just above her and grab her head, bringing it down hard on the floor. He didn't let go and followed by throwing her at the closest wall with all his strength. I'm glad he refrained from throwing her towards us. Seeing the cracks she left on the wall, I don't know if the glass would have withstood it.

That didn't stop her, though, as she sent a hail of fire covered spikes towards him. He was forced to protect himself as she kept throwing them non-stop, somehow regenerating those that she just launched in moments. This gave her a chance to move up closer and slip under his guard, surprising him by grabbing one of his horns and kneeling him in the face before sending him away with a strike of her tail.

Gore got up and massaged his horn for a moment. He turned his head towards her and growled loudly. When I noticed her smirk, I realized what she was doing. Gore charged at her on all fours (or six in this case), jumping upwards before reaching her and coming down with all his strength on his wingarms. She dodged at the last second, positioning herself behind him and sheathing both her swords before grabbing him by the tail and spinning around a couple of times before throwing him away.

He smashed onto the wall, but instead of falling to the ground, he used his claws to hold himself onto it. He dodged the two swords that tried to hit him on the back by jumping up the wall and then coming down on his target. She wasn't fast enough to dodge the shockwave that came afterwards, sending her away. Gore took the moment and rushed her, but this turned against him when she moved under him as he jumped to catch her. She pushed him towards the wall, smashing him against it.

Midnight grabbed him by the arm and threw him to the ground. Before he could react, she kneeled on him and pressed one of her weapons to his neck. Gore grabbed it with both of his hands, but wasn't able to stop the other one coming down on his chest several times. He managed to free one of his wingarms from under him just as his Aura shattered. Ozpin took this moment to use the speaker. "I believe that signifies the end of the combat. I recommend that you do not continue, for both your sakes."

 **(End song)**

It was true that, while his Aura had been broken, Midnight didn't have one to begin with, so she still had several wounds on her body. "What do you say, Elder? Do you give up?" She was smiling down at him, and I could tell Gore wasn't too happy with the result, even if he expected it.

So it came as a surprise when a ball of his Virus started forming right in front of his face, aimed at her. She panicked and tried to get away, but Gore held her down with his wingarn. Her face turned into one of pure fear, and just when she thought she was going to be hit with the attack, the ball simply disappeared in a puff of smoke with an anticlimatic _'puft'_.

Followed by Gore's booming laughter. I listened to his thoughts as he spoke in his language. _'You should have seen your face!'_ He said between laughs, releasing Midnight but staying on the ground. _'You really thought I was going to plague you!'_ He managed to calm down a bit after a while. _'I don't like loosing, but I'm not_ thatbad _of a sore loser.'_

Midnight looked lost for a second, blinking in confusion, before twisting her face in anger. "You jerk! You know what would happen if I get hit by your Virus! Did you want me to die or something!? You… you… you jerk!"

I couldn't see it, but I could _feel_ the amused smile Gore gave me when he turned his head to us. _'Where have I heard that insult before, I wonder?'_

I pressed the button and spoke. "Well, maybe you heard it before because you are one!" I said in mock anger. He was getting good at teasing people and getting reactions out of them.

Too good.

I turned around and found that Icharias and the girl were looking at me as if I had grown a second head. Well, on the hunter's part, I _assumed_ he was surprised. Seriously, that helmet is eerie. "What?"

Ozpin cleared his throat. "They do not know about the… connection between you and Mr. Magala."

I 'oh-ed' and laughed awkwardly. "It's… a long story."

* * *

 **/ Gore P.O.V. /**

I admit, that last move may have been to just have the last laugh, as humans say, but, oh was it worth it!

That smug victory look suddenly turned into one of pure panic and surprise. I was never planning on releasing the Virus, _obviously_. I had been very careful during the rest of the fight not to get her wounds in contact with it. Even when I was enraged, I kept control and refrained myself from hitting her with any attack that might trigger the Virus.

That being said, I did enjoy the fight. She surprised me by using more her strength than I expected, and while I didn't like being thrown around like some worthless Jaggi, it did help in my efforts on managing this body. And after seeing her use hunter weapons with such efficiency, I was a little jealous myself. That being said, I believe that I wouldn't mind a rematch later on.

I was pulled out of my musings by a small kick on my side. I was still on the floor and I turned my head towards the- towards Midnight. If I was going to make the effort to address the rest by their names, the sooner I start, the better. "Don't you ever do that again, you asshole. You hear me?"

I waved a hand in her direction. "[I do, I do. But that face was priceless, and I wasn't going to let you win without having some fun myself]"

She glared at me with one of those looks that could melt a mountain. I didn't care. "Jerk." That frown turned into a small smile as she rolled her eyes. "But I will admit that this was pretty exciting. It's the first time I fight another like me in this form. I wouldn't mind a rematch when you get better with your own form."

She extended her hand to me and I took it as she pulled me up. She then proceeded to rub her bloodied nose and groan in pain. "Though I wouldn't mind having this Aura-thingy I heard about. It sure does work with you."

"[You'll need to find someone to unlock it.]" I said. "[Ask Ozpin. If he can't, then he most surely knows someone who can. I know Summer is able to do so, but, well, it can be dangerous for the human that unlocks it.]"

"How so?"

I shrugged. "[I literally exploded and sent her flying away.]" She looked at me with wide eyes. "[I think it has something to do with the size of our souls or something like that.]"

The door to the side of the room opened and the group entered to greet us. Ozpin and Summer gave some advice on improving my fighting, but I just moved it to the back of my mind. If I'm going to be trained, I'll keep it in mind, but, for now, I let my thoughts roam for a moment, focused on who could help me on this form.

I had many options: Summer and Dalamadur would definitely be my first picks. Dalamadur could help me with almost everything, but I would rather get the basics first. If I couldn't grab a small pebble without crushing it by mistake, I wasn't going to be doing any fighting in this form any time soon. As for Summer, she could help me if I were to get a weapon. I was still doubtful about it, though. Sure, having one could be immensely useful, but I don't see myself wielding one.

And it wasn't because I didn't like the thought of having a weapon. Seeing their effectiveness with this form, I wasn't going to say no. The reason that I was still deciding if I wanted one was because the level of training it would require. I don't think I would be reaching Summer's level anytime soon, and I didn't know if she would be able to train me. Thus, I thought of Ozpin. Then again, he is surely to be busy too, being the headmaster of that academy in Vale and all of that.

I was pulled out of my musings by a comment that Summer made. "Well, I'm glad that you two are on good terms after the fight." I turned my head and noticed she was talking to the In- _Midnight_. It was going to be hard to change that habit. "The last dragon he fought, well…"

Ah, _her_.

Another problem, even when imprisoned. If I knew Elders, and oh boy did I knew the lot we were, she would either break out from this place or this place would break her. There is a reason humans do not tend to capture us. Apart from being too strong for their traps, we are clever enough to escape afterwards, and cause chaos while doing so. If she managed to get out of her cell, and none of us were here, there would be no stopping her from rampaging throughout the place.

And the other option wasn't much better. Being trapped in a place for too long would leave her without energy and just unwilling to do anything. It was the lowest an Elder could fall, basically becoming an easy kill for anyone that passed through. I may still not like her much, but now that I have had sometime to cool down, it is a destiny I do not wish upon her. Cruel enough Elders may deserve it, but she is merely more than a child.

And if more Elders were coming to this world, all the help we could have would be appreciated.

*sigh* The very least I could do would be to see how willing she is now that she has been some time in here.

I walked towards the door, stopped by Summer's voice. "Gore, where are you going?"

I turned to her. _'I need to do something before we leave.'_ I spared a look to the kid holding her hand. _'Didn't you say you still needed to do something about her?'_

Summer slapped her head. "Of course! The medics! We still need the full report." She smiled at the girl. "Why don't you come with me and then we get some ice-cream, hmm?"

The girl nodded meekly, but with a happy smile on her face. I went on my way searching for the cell where the Lunastra was being kept. It took me a while but I finally found it. Making sure nobody was around, I transformed back to my normal form and moved to the entrance of the room.

Only to be met by a human hand-sized panel on its side. Darn.

"I see you want to visit our special guest." I turned my head quicker than I thought possible to the voice. How did he manage to surprise me?! It was one of the scientists that worked here. What was his name again? Doctor… ah, whatever. What caught my attention was that, instead of a white robe like the rest, he was wearing a black one. And he was being followed by several floating bone… hands… what? "I remember you. You were the one that brought us this magnificent specimen and the strange Virus. For that, we are all extremely thankful." His smile turned darker and he whispered to the side. "Let's see you beat this, you Atlesian snobs…"

He cleared his throat. "Apologies. From our last visit and the reports I've been giving I know you are sentient and that you understand us. Is that correct?" I nodded once, and the scream that he let out almost made ne recoil. "Marvelous! This is a great discovery! And we will be the ones to study it! To discover the secrets behind you and your kind! And everyone will remember the name of W. D. Gaster!" He was now, _somehow_ , standing with one leg on a box that wasn't there before, pointing upwards and with his bone hands(?) clapping around him.

…

What the hell was I watching?

He composed himself and looked at me. "All within moral bounds, of course. As for your reason of being here…" He walked calmly to the machine and tapped a few times in it, making the door open. "I'm sure that you can deal with any problems that she may pose. Just hit the door after you are finished in there." I started walking inside and I could just overhear a few last words that he said to himself. "Then again, if you are going to be wandering around here from now on, we may need to do something about the doors with lock…"

I decided to not pay him any more attention as I entered the room. The door closed behind me and I sighed. I used one of my wingarms to grab the Lunastra by one of her crests as she tried to get the jump on me by the side. Keyword being tried. I followed by throwing her away to the center of the room. She rolled before standing up, her side facing me and growling angrily. Normally, after my previous fight, I would be all in for an easy win, but not right now. Before she could jump again, I spoke. "[Stop. I am not here to fight.]"

That only seemed to make her angrier. "[Then you shouldn't have stepped through that door!]"

And charging again. Ancients, she's like my brother: when an obstacle stood in his way, he bit, clawed and banged his head against it until it broke. No sort of plan or using their hheas. And yet, my brother was far less dense. At the very least, he would have listened to what I had to say. I caught her by the crests _again_ and pinned her to the floor. "[Will you stop for a minute and listen to what I have to say, or do have to, as humans say, 'do this dance over gain'?!]"

She was struggling against me, but I kept her still and took this moment to take a look at her. Her wounds had healed rather nicely and she seemed to be in top condition. I noticed her charging up flames on her mouth and I clamped it shut by pressing it against the ground. It was at this moment I noticed her eyes. Honestly, being able to read another being so clearly was a gift I was incredibly grateful for to Summer. I could see that she had the determination and rage behind them, all directed at me. But there was something else, something behind those two that wasn't hard to identify.

Fear.

She was afraid of me, and I could use this to my advantage. I just had to say the right words. "[Do you really want to spend another week with broken bones and wounds? I will be more than glad to provide if that is what you want.]" She kept struggling, trying to break free from my hold. Honestly, she was in a really bad position to do anything. "[I'm sure you'll _love_ being defenseless in front of all these weak humans, while they experiment with you.]"

That made her stop for a moment, and I took it as my chance to keep talking. "[I'm not asking you to do anything over the top, just to listen to what I have to say. Nothing more, nothing less.]" She growled but kept still. I didn't know if that was a yes or a no, and with her violent and erratic nature, I couldn't guess with clarity. "[I'm going to let you go now. If you try anything, I'll make sure you stay wounded for a _long_ time.]"

I released her head and she snapped backwards, but didn't retaliate. She stood still, glaring at me and breathing heavily for a few moments. I could tell that she was angered, and that she didn't know if this was some sort of trick. I could play around with her, but the less time I spend around her, the better. I may have calmed down and meditated about my actions, but I still didn't like her. Finally, she spoke. "[What do you want?]"

Well, here goes nothing. "[To talk, and to offer you a chance.]" That made her raise an eyebrow, but she was still defensive about me. "[How long have you been down here? A week? More? And I'm sure you don't like being trapped in here while some humans examine you and your abilities. And like you, more Elders are going to be appearing here, in this world, in the future. We both know how our 'equals' will act upon seeing themselves in an unknown place: exactly like you.]"

She kept her eyes focused on me, waiting an attack that would not come. Unless she hit first. "[And what about it? Whatever the place we are in, it belongs to us. We are stronger than the humans, than the Inferiors. We take what we want, they can't stop us.]"

"[Um, hello? I destroyed you, if you have forgotten, which I honestly doubt.]" Seriously, how dumb do you have to be to still believe that. It doesn't even benefit her anymore! "[And while you may have killed the hunter that brought you here, he still managed to send you away from your territory and wound you. So you tell me if you are the strongest around here.]"

She kept silent about that, but didn't last long. "[Whatever. Stop babbling nonsense and get to the point.]"

I glanced around the empty, white room. "[It's not as if you had anything else to do.]" I smiled. I may not get to beat her down but I'm not wasting an opportunity to tease her. "[Oh, I'm sorry, is the queen too busy to pay attention to the words of a plebian like myself? My apologies, it is _extremely clear_ that you are on a short schedule to count the tiles on the floor.]"

I expected her to get angry, to shout at me or to directly lash out physically. Instead, she turned her head away and mumbled something, and I could swear that I saw a faint tinge of pink on her cheeks before I lost sight of her face. I could barely contain my laughter at this point, but I decided to not antagonize her anymore… for now. "[Fine. I'll get to the point.]"

With her attention back on me, I proceeded. "[My point is that we are going to find more Elders that will be hostile against humanity in this world. Some of them may be able to be convinced to stand down by words, others not so much. And the more help we can gather to protect this world, the better.]"

I paused for a second, thinking on how to word my thoughts. "[I'm willing to give you a chance. An opportunity to get out of here, to make the experiments stop and to help us protect this world. Whether we like it or not, this world and our own are connected. The only difference is that here we are not being hunted down. Here, we have a chance to start anew and create a world where humanity and Elders are not in a constant fight to kill each other.]"

"[Pfft. As if. Even if we aren't being hunted here, how long do you think that it will take for the pest that is humanity to chase after us?]" She wasn't believing a word I was saying, and I couldn't blame her. It was difficult to even picture. "[And even then, why offer me this chance? You hate me.]"

Isn't that the question. "[Humans in this world already have their own monsters. I'm sure you've seen them: black and white beasts with nothing more than the basic instincts of an animal, only full of hate towards anything that moves. And if we helped them against these beasts, what reason would they have to hunt after us?]" I took a moment to clear my thoughts. Why was I offering the chance to her? Well… "[As for your last question… I don't know.]"

She looked at me perplexed. "[You don't know?]"

I shrugged. "[Honestly, you are the only other Elder that isn't with us now, so is more a lack of choice than you being the best option.]" That made her growl, and I hid my smile. "[But now seriously. I guess that I'm giving you a chance because, sooner or later, there are going to be many of us coming into this world, and we may not be able to take them on with the few we are now. And maybe because, a – very small – part of me still believes you can change into something better. You are still young, and have much to learn. And you do learn. For example…]"

I smashed my feet on the ground and took in a combat stance quickly. She reacted and prepared herself, but I relaxed my postured. "[You've learnt to not take me lightly. The deal is as follows: you can be out of this prison, away from scientists and empty cells, and in exchange, you side with us and stop acting hostile against humans. You may even learn a thing or two about them, who knows.]"

She snorted. "[And become a pet for a human like you did?]" A loud growl from my part warned her of how close she was from closing the line. She got it quite quickly. "[In any case, I won't degrade myself to working beside humans!]"

I would have rolled my eyes if I had them. I was starting to think that she was a ball made of pride and cockiness molded into the form of a Lunnastra. "[As you wish. I'm not desperate, and I'm in no hurry. This will be your _only_ opportunity to get out of here. If you chose to remain here, then fine. You are right that I don't like you, but I'm willing to give a fellow Elder a chance.]" I turned around as she became focused on her inner thoughts. It was too good of a chance to let it slip, but she would need to swallow her pride. I banged the door once and it began to open. "[Think about it. I'll come back in a couple days to get your answer.]"

I had my own thoughts a bit… convoluted. Why did I gave her the chance? Was it because she reminded me somewhat of my brother, both in good and bad? Was it a rash decision? Could she even be trusted to change? I didn't know, but it was true what I said. The more beings we have on our side, the easier it will be to protect this world. Then again, was she the right choice to keep on our side?

Meh. I could always beat her up back inside the cell.

She remained in the center of the room as the door closed. I turned to the doctor, who was tapping away on his machines. "You've finished everything around here?" I nodded once. "Excellent!" Why does he feel the need to shout _every time_? "Headmaster Ozpin told me that they were waiting in the main hangar." I twisted my head to the side. Hangar? "The big room with the ceiling that opens. It is filled with airships."

Ohhh…

So the ceiling _does_ open! I knew it!

* * *

 **/ Summer P.O.V. /**

I talked with the medics of the facility after the fight. They said that she was obviously malnourished and that some wounds and bruises may have been dangerous if she didn't have her Aura unlocked. It did heal most of her minor wounds, but with the lack of proper food and nutrition, her Aura had been weak. Luckily, both of those problems would be solved with warm food and time. As long as she started to give her body the proper nutrients and vitamins, she would make a complete recovery into a normal child.

The real problem they discovered was her voice. I was already guessing that she was mute, it wasn't as if it was hard to notice. What worried me was that they said it wasn't because she was born without it, but that whatever those monsters had done to her back at the caves had left her without voice. _Permanently_. For a moment, I wanted nothing more than to bring those scumbags back to life just so I could beat them again. I managed to calm down when I noticed that I was flaring my Aura, as it prevented my own nails to pierce the skin on my hand out of the force which I was clenching my fists.

Blind assholes. Couldn't they see that the Grimm are the mutual enemy?! Gods damn them all.

They spoke about contacting Atlas about this, but even if the kingdom of the north had a way to restore her voice, it would probably be expensive and painful for her. They had very advanced prosthetics and cybernetics, but the vocal cords were a delicate matter. Nevertheless, I was already planning on teaching her sing language, both civilian and huntsmen types. They were similar, but the latter was made for quick communication of ideas and tactics. Many say that not having voice makes people unfit to be huntsmen.

Heh. Tell that to Ozpin. Two people lacking voice graduated a couple of years before me, and let me tell you, those guys were literal _beasts_ in combat.

With that done, I invited her to an ice-cream as promised (thank the Gods they have a decent selection on the cafeteria of the place). The irony wasn't lost on me when she picked the Neapolitan flavor. We mused over some names she may like, but she wasn't too excited with most of them. That is until, after seeing her devour her ice-cream with pleasure, I proposed a name that came more as a joke than a real idea.

"How about we call you Neapolitan, just as the ice-cream, huh? Neapolitan Rose Xiao-Long. How does that sound?"

She stopped eating for a moment, considering the idea, before smiling and picking a paper napkin and signaling to give her something to write. I handed her a pen one of the scientists let me and she started to scribble. She did know how to write, albeit with effort. I supposed that someone taught her the basics before being kidnapped, or during her stay in that place. She finished writing and handed me the napkin. In it, one single, bad written word appeared.

Neopolitan.

I smiled back at her. "Well, it's _your_ name, so sure." I cleared my throat and straightened my back. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Neopolitan. My name is Summer Rose." She giggled lightly and shook my hand. I was glad she was starting to smile a bit more.

Afterwards, we left for the hangar, where Ozpin and the rest were waiting for us. The only one missing was Gore, who showed up later muttering something about 'the ceiling' and 'calling it'. When I asked what he had been doing, he said he would tell us back at home. Meanwhile, Icharias and Midnight were talking to Daur, and it seemed to be rather important by the likes of it.

"So, he wants me to return…" Said Daur, holding his chin in his hand and frowning in thought.

"You are one of the Seven. They need you in order to keep balance." Midnight was serious, if her tone of voice was anything to go by.

"I know, child. But it is not a prospect I exactly cherish." Answered Daur. "While it is true that we may be needed, this new world presents an opportunity unlike any other before. And, for as long as the Guild holds possession of even a scrap of the Essence, this place will also be in danger." He shook his head. "I understand his worry, but there ae six of them there and only one of me here. And with a hunter on our side, we can carry messages from one world to the other. If you so wish, you can return and tell him that I am alive and well, but I will be staying for the time being."

Icharias stepped in. "Is that your final decision? Is there anything we can do to convince you?"

"I'm afraid not, hunter, but I understand why you want me to return. If anything that requires my presence occurs, I will answer." By this point, we were all listening, and they didn't seem to mind. We already knew about this anyway. "But, if it's not much to ask, I also have a request for both of you. Icharias, there is another hunter in this world. She has proven… difficult to deal with. I would ask that you simply talk with her and see if she can be trusted before you leave."

Icharias nodded. "As for you, child," "Why does everyone keep calling me that?!" "I need you to keep track of an Elder back home for me. It is one of the Seven, Alatreon to be more precise. She is dangerous for friend and foe alike, and Fatalis and I agreed on keeping her under watch from time to time. I only ask you to either see for yourself or ask Fatalis on my behalf. I'm more than certain that he has not let her out of his sight."

She hold her hands up. "Wait, wait, wait. You want me to meet with _Fatalis_. With _The_ White Fatalis. The Leader of the Seven?! Will he even bother with me if I show up?!"

Daur nodded. "If you say that I sent you, then yes. In fact, I'm sure that he is already aware of who and what you are."

I was getting rather curious about this 'Fatalis'. "Is he all-seeing or something?"

He shook his head. "No. We simply report to him every once in a while. I'm sure Kirin has already reported your existence to him."

She rubbed the back of her head. "Well, when you put it like that…"

Icharias placed a hand on her shoulder. "I'll talk with this hunter you speak about. We'll leave afterwards."

Daur nodded and Ozpin mentioned where Sarah was, while the rest of us headed for the same elevator we had come in.

After we were almost back at the elevator, Gore commented something. _'Wait. If the ceiling can open, why aren't we leaving that way?'_

…

Damn it! That would have been so cool! I guess we are stuck with the elevator for now.

But I'm _so_ asking Ozpin to open it next time!

* * *

 **A.N.: if nothing like that shiet happens this week, I should have the next chapter on time.**

 **Link:** https:- -www-youtube-com-watch?v=QMokMQ8Bu7Y

 **Reviews!**

 **proiu: well, I can tell you that she won't dedicate herself to a life of crime as long as summer can do anything about it. And thank you!**

 **darkvampirekisses: the idea just popped in my head and I had to write it. And thanks.**

 **Knightwolf1875: there's more to come, but this one was more my idea of Midnight having fun and getting herself some revenge while on it. All in goof spirits, of course.**

 **RabidArmenian: I mean, wouldn't you be pissed if plans that have taken between several months and a couple of years were suddenly crushed by an unknown and your mortal enemy? I sure aa hell would be. And Yang will get more hugs, especially from Summer. Obi-Wan has the high ground, Ruby has the high-HIGH ground. As for the weapon, I think I already know what I'm going to do.**

 **Clockwork Bun Bun: thank you. And he has, he needs** _ **far**_ **more training to beat Midnight on human form.**

 **mickeysofine: I'm not 'offloading'. The music is, as you said, a** _ **suggestion**_ **. If you want to listen to it, then fine. If not, then also fine. I keep suggesting it because most people seem to like it, and I believe a fight is more entertaining with some background music to go with it. If you don't want to listen to it, they don't, but don't come whining about it to me. If I find out more people dislike this idea, then I will stop. Until then, go write a story without music yourself. I don't have the mood nor the patience to deal with this right now.**

 **HOWDIDIGETHERE: I know it doesn't fit too much, but I just love AT, and I found that it wouldn't be so bad if she sang it.**

 **Guest: that would be spoiler, my friend. But I can tell you that, while the Keepers know a lot of things, they are definitely** _ **not**_ **omnipotent.**

 **Guest: thank you~**

 **Guest: thanks. They are mostly random ideas that appear on my head and don't exactly fit into the story. Thus, omakes.**

 **Guest: well, there wouldn't be much point to this story if they didn't at some time, wouldn't it?**

 **Runningstar bloodrage: I'm… not sure what you are talking about.**

 **silverkep2015: Remember, no Russian. But seriously, wut? I'm afraid of translating it for misunderstandings.**

 **Guest: if an idea comes out, then sure.**

 **Zak44803: *flashback of weapons bouncing over and over* That pain in the ass comes back to haunt me. Ugh.**

 **Dragon emoirs: thank you. I'm glad you like it. I don't know about romance, though. I haven't tried and I doubt I'm good at it, so that's a no for the time being. Gore and Summer's interactions usually are the funniest to write. And while I wouldn't exactly call Gore's sister cute, I can get what you are saying.**

 **Now, there has been this person in the reviews who has been spamming shit and talking bad about the story. I could rant about how most of the things he/she/it(?) has been saying have the same value as a mote of dust, how he/she is just insulting my story, yadda yadda yadda.**

 **Honestly, I couldn't give less fucks right now. I'm tired and not in a good mood, so I'm just going to say this: don't like, don't read. And if you are going to keep reading, stop spamming in the reviews.**

 **Stay quiet, provide constructive criticism or go away. Whatever rocks your boat, pal.**

 **With that said, I'm sorry there is no omake this time. I don't think I could write something funny right now and make it good.**

 **I hope you enjoyed!**

 **Have a great day!**


	19. Chapter 17: Gain and loss

**A.N.: hello there! And happy Mother's Day! At least, it is here on Spain. In any case, here is the new chapter!**

 **By the way, have any of you watched the new Avengers movie? Your thoughts? I personally like it, though I won't make any spoilers and I'm going to ask you not to do it either in the reviews. If you are going to be talking more in depth about it, PM me, for the sake of those who haven't seen it.**

 **Enough talk! Enjoy!**

* * *

 **Black Dragon, White Rose**

 **Chapter 17**

 **Gain and loss**

 **/ Gore P.O.V. /**

The return to Summer's house was made with the rest of them on my back. Lucky them I was big in size, even compared to my own kind, else they would have been very crowded up there. And don't get me wrong, I didn't mind being their way of transport. Their weight wasn't even noticeable and I liked the company, but I think they were getting too comfortable with the idea. Especially Summer, who still had a mind of putting a saddle on my back for extra comfort. And my answer would still be no.

Luckily, Midnight carried the hunter on her back and flew beside me. It was clear that her wings weren't made to be especially good at flight, but she held herself well. Patch wasn't too far away either, so she didn't have to worry about tiring herself. The only problem was avoiding the settlement in the coast. I already knew the way around, so I just made her follow my lead. Come to think of it, now I could actually enter the place _without_ worrying about hiding or being discovered. It will be a… strange change of pace.

I found my sister playing with Ruby and Yang on the back of the house when we arrived. Making way for us to land, we were almost immediately assaulted by the questioning of the two sisters. Summer just laughed it up and hugged them, making sure they were alright and asking her own, more calm, questions. I don't think she was going to forget the incident with Yang anytime soon, or ever, for that matter. I did try my best to answer some of her questions, but I ended up handing it to Summer. I love those two, really, I do, but how in all the Ancients does Summer handle them _all the time_?!

If that is how _human_ kids behave, I can't imagine Elder ones. Thank the Ancients I'm not planning in having any of my own any time soon or later.

Midnight and the hunter said their goodbyes soon after, leaving for the hotel that Ozpin had told them to go. The Headmaster himself had remained behind, taking his own transport back to the academy. That left Summer and her family, Daur, my sister and I. And the new kid, Neopolitan, I think it was. Something related to whatever 'ice-cream' was and a flavor that it had, Summer told me. Though she has been calling her Neo for short. It was a nice name, if a little bit strange with all that nonsense of flavors and stuff.

The most interesting part was Taiyang's reaction. When he asked who Neo was, and why she was staying, Summer laughed awkwardly and showed him some sort of paper. "Well, you see…"

He took a look at it for a moment, his curious visage turning into an unimpressed flat face before looking back at Summer. My sister, with the remaining two members of the family – and that pestering dog – tapped me and pointed at the married couple, the three of them, four counting the annoying ball of fur, holding confused faces. "[It's a long story. I'll explain later.]"

"Neopolitan Rose Xiao-Long." Those were the words that exited Taiyang's mouth, in a completely flat tone, not impressed at all by the events around him. I guess he is used to Summer's shenanigans. Ruby and Yang looked ta each other, then back at the girl who still held Summer's hand. I think she was scared of him. Taiyang did seem imposing for a normal human.

The man in question sighed and closed his eyes, rubbing his eyes. "Summer, why?"

Summer laughed again. "It's… a long story."

"Oh, I'm sure about that. It always is with you." He answered. "What I don't understand is how you made this decision without ever thinking about consulting me. Not a single word, just… doing it. I swear, somethings don't change, whether we are in a team or not."

He looked at her with a tired face. "Listen, Summer. I know it's your job, our job, as huntsmen to help people, but you can't go around taking in every street dog…" he spared me a look, "or dragon you find. No offense." He added to the girl and me. I didn't pay it any mind. I didn't like being compared to that mutt, but I get what he was saying.

"But Tai-"

"No, Summer." He said sternly. "You should have consulted me before letting some stranger inside of our house, even if she is a child. No, _especially_ if it's a child!"

"But she needed help!" Argued Summer. "And that's not all. She knows about Gore and the rest. We can't just let her at her own luck on the streets, even if she didn't."

"And does it have to be our house?!" He answered back. "Summer, we are not exactly rich, and with me starting classes back on Signal next week, and you going out on missions, how are we-!"

"I already have that solved." Said Summer. "I'm going to be taking on shorter missions from now on, and Ozpin has agreed to help us economically. You know how much he likes to keep his secrets… well, secret!" Her face took into a pleading look. "Please, Tai. We can't leave her alone. Not after what she has gone through."

"What do you mean?"

"She is one of the girls we rescued on that last mission." His eyes widened and they landed on the girl. He was definitely having a lot of thoughts right now. "Please. I know I'm asking a lot of you, but we already take care of our girls, and I know she won't be any trouble."

The girl shook her head, agreeing to what Summer said. "Okay, that's… rough." He admitted. "But, still… I don't know, Sum. I don't think..."

Whatever he was going to say was stopped by the soft sniffled of the girl, crying on Summer's cape. Forgetting their argument, she immediately turned around and hugged her. "Hey, hey. What's wrong? C'mon, don't cry. You can tell me." She caressed her hair softly and pulled her head upwards. "I'm here for you, alright?"

The girl kept crying quietly, though she stopped when a hand tapped her shoulder. She turned around to be faced with Ruby and Yang. The first was giving her a smile that could melt an Ukanlos by sheer warmth, while Yang held one that I had seen her wear when Ruby was sad. "Don't cry. Why don't you come play with us? That always makes me happy!" Said Ruby with excitement.

"Yeah! I can show you around while we are at it, so you don't get lost!" Yang didn't lack any energy either.

The girl sniffled once more and looked back at Summer, as if asking for her permission. Summer smiled and nodded. "Go. I'll take care of everything around here, okay? Don't worry about it."

She smiled through the tears, and followed the sisters. "Oh! I'm Yang and this is Ruby. Are you our new sister?"

With that they went to the end of the clear and I gestured my sister to follow them, which she did gladly. I didn't want to repeat what had happened with Yang before, and the two of them were helping my sister a lot, even if none of them could tell. I turned back to the conversation about to happen, and I noticed the lack of another person. Where the hell had Dalamadur go? Had he left to the hotel? You know, he and Ozpin had a tendency of appearing and disappearing out of nowhere.

And as an Elder with an almost perfect awareness of my surroundings, it irritated me that someone could pop in and out without me noticing.

"Summer, I…" He sighed tiredly. "You are not going to let this go, are you?"

She smiled and at that moment I knew that what Summer wants, Summer gets. May it be by beating the enemy senseless or pure, raw stubbornness. "Nope."

He remained silent for a few seconds before talking again. "You know you can be _very_ difficult to deal with, right?"

"Yep!" it was her only answer.

He sighed one last time. "I love you too much…" Extending his hand, he signaled to the papers on her hand. "C'mon, hand me those."

I could feel the happiness from our link at those words, and instead of handing him the papers, she jumped at his arms and started covering him in kisses. Blegh. "Thank you, thank you, thank you!"

' _Could you do that when I' not here, please?!'_ I basically shouted through our link.

She composed herself somewhat and nodded. "Right, right."

But Taiyang wasn't finished. "With one condition, though." Summer looked at him expectantly. "Whenever something that involves the two of us comes up again, you _will_ tell me, alright? No more secrets and no more waiting to the last minute, got it?"

Summer nodded. "I promise." She then handed the papers to Taiyang, how proceeded to write something short on them. I wasn't too sure why they needed those papers, only that it was related to Neo.

Meh. Humans and their love for rules and laws.

Summer took them back with a smile before jumping and hugging him by the neck with a happy laugh. To his credit, Taiyang managed to remain on his feet and hug her back when he recovered from the surprise. I was glad that Summer was my first friend in this world. Honestly, I was just happy with how things were right now. There are a lot of problems in the horizon, but right now, I think we were going to be fine.

All of us.

* * *

The next couple of days passed rather quickly. Midnight and the hunter gad decided to return, but they would wait until I talked with the Lunastra, just in case she tried anything. Dalamadur had been staying with them in the hotel, and he had been talking with Ozpin about finding a place where he could return to his normal form. Staying like that for long periods of time wasn't harmful, but it could be a bit uncomfortable.

On our side of things, Neo had been adapting to her new home without too much trouble. She was still a bit scared of Taiyang, but she was making progress on that front. Summer said something about taking her to someone called a 'therapist', saying that it would help her mental health. She seemed relatively fine to me, but who knows what being trapped in those conditions can do. On the brighter side, Ruby and Yang were having a blast with their new sister, and my own was also enjoying the new company.

Regarding myself, she was still fearful of coming too close to me, but Ruby was helping a lot with that problem. I did notice that the newest member of the family had a mischievous side s she opened up. It wasn't much for now, just a couple of small pranks and jokes, but it was a good sing that she didn't feel afraid of doing them.

At least I think it was.

Meanwhile, Dalamadur had taken it upon himself to teach me the intricacies of the human form. And with intricacies, I mean learning how to control my strength and my balance in a way that I wouldn't break someone's spine if I pat the on the back or that I fall if I do something out of the ordinary, respectively. And let me tell you, it was _so. Frustrating._ Balancing was easier, seeing as how my wingarms helped a lot if I tripped, but the strength issue was another thing.

It had only been two days and I think I already broke like 7 tress around the clearing. But we were making progress! Probably. Maybe…

At least now we have more space to land.

And to add more worries at the back of my mind, Summer and Midnight have been talking about designing a weapon for me. Not that I mind, but every time I'm training, they send me this weird glances, as id f they were studying me and what I do. And every time I turn to them, they look away as if they weren't looking before. It's really uncomfortable having them spy my every move and then speak in a tone that I can't hear.

But the worst part was when I walked closer to them and asked what they were doing. To which Summer answered: "Oh, don't worry about it. We have _eeeeeverything_ covered." Followed by one of the sweetest and more suspicious smiles she had ever given me.

Brr. Just the thought of it makes my spine shiver. I may be taking this out of context, but you can never be too careful with Summer around.

And so, quicker than I thought, the day came. I flew to the base on the mainland, followed by Midnight and her hunter. They would stay inside but out of her sight. I didn't know how she would take an Inferior that could be considered one of us, but I was leaning on 'not very good'. So, in case anything happened, they would be close but out of her sight.

But, right now, that wasn't our biggest issue. At least, not Summer's. "C'mon, Oz. This time there are two of them… I know, but it would be much easier that way… No… Yes… But-!..." She sighed in a defeated tone. "Fine, we'll go through the boring elevator."

' _What were you trying to do?_ 'I asked as she put the device away.

"I wanted Ozpin to let us open the main hangar doors, but he says it's 'not necessary' and 'a waste of energy'." She said with a mock voice. "A wasted opportunity, that's what this is."

We reached the buildings shortly after, and true to what she had said we used the elevator, this time with one more of my relative size. To my surprise, Ozpin wasn't actually here. He was back at his school, according to Summer, preparing for the new school year. That last part didn't surprise me, though, seeing how important Beacon was to Vale and the people in it.

A few minutes of walking through the place, we reached the cell where the Lunastra was being kept. Bow that I thought of it, maybe she would need a name. If not now, then she would need one if another Lunastra appeared here. That would be confusing. I wonder what would happen if another of my kind decided to pop up. Hmm. Well, I already had enough problems as it was. I didn't need to worry about things that may or may not happen. That's just being paranoid without a reason.

As we reached the door, the same doctor from the last time was there tapping with several of his hands at some screens around him. What a weird guy. "Ah. I was told you had arrived. She has been extremely calm these past two days. There hasn't been a need to gas her at any moment and she has been on her best behavior. Now I' curious at what you said to her." He looked at me as if I was some experiment to be observed.

"Doctor Gaster." Said Summer as she approached. "We are here to see if we have the cooperation of this dragon. Gore gave her an ultimatum and we were going to see if she had taken it."

The doctor looked as if some ancient mystery had just been solved in front of his eyes. "Ah! So that's why she was so well behaved recently. She was meditative. How interesting…" He mumbled a couple of things to himself before realizing we were still there, waiting for him to open the door. "Oh, sorry. I got lost in my theories." He moved close to the panel and tapped a few times in it. "Remember me later from giving you a card with the codes of the facility." He said to Summer. "It'll make your travels through here far faster and effective."

' _Stay here. I'll tap the door once we are over'_ She nodded and let me through to the door. I walked inside, and this time, I found her laying on the ground, with her vision lost in the middle of nowhere. No surprise attack, no angered looks or growling. Hell, I don't think she was even aware I was there!

The door closed behind me and I moved closer. Still nothing. Was the decision really that hard for her? On one hand, her liberty and the chance to begin a better life. On the other, keeping her wounded, useless pride and remaining as an experiment for Doctor Nuts and his floating bone hands. I don't even care that not all of the scientists were like him, I would take the first option the moment it showed up.

Then again, she has far more pride than I do. Young and prideful, the worst combination for an Elder.

And I still didn't know why I was doing this. At this point, though, I was just hoping that nothing bad came out of it.

I decided not to interrupt her. It was the first time I had seen her so concentrated. In fact, it was the first time I had seen her use her brain instead of her brawn. I hope it doesn't overheat because of the extended use. Heh. _'No, Gore. Focus. Teasing later, when she is no longer a threat.'_

I walked closer and stepped on her field of vision. She went wide-eyed and jumped backwards, startled. Just like a cat would do. A very big, flame-spitting cat. "[W-what?! How did-?! When did you-?!]"

I couldn't help but chuckle at her surprise. "[I have been here for a while now. You didn't even notice I got in, did you?]" I asked with a smile, making her look away with a faint blush. "[I saw you so focused that I decided not to interrupt you. It was such an interesting event that I just had to let it happen for a while.]" _'C'mon, take the bait…'_

She looked at me with a wary glare. "[What 'event' are you talking about?]" _'Yes!'_

I smiled broader. "[You using your brain, of course. For a while now, I thought you had lost it when you came to Remnant.]" I know what I just had said, but it was just _too good_ of an opportunity to pass.

That did get out of her the reaction I was expecting, with a look of pure anger and loud growl. It was extremely entertaining poking fun out of people and getting a reaction, but I needed to get a hold of when to stop. And right now, every sense in me was saying that now was that time. "[On a more serious note, have you thought about what I said?]"

She became silent and looked at the ground, as if she was pondering something. I decided not to disturb her for a few seconds as she thought her answer. She mumbled something I couldn't hear and moved my head closer. Finally, she spoke clearly. "[I said I'll do it.]"

Good. That was a step forward, but I still felt the need to remind her of some of the terms. "[Good. As for the conditions of our deal…]"

She looked at me, angered. "[Conditions?! You said-!]"

"[I said that you would have to follow a couple of rules, did I not?]" She shut up and listened. "[First, you won't harm any humans unless they attack you first or we allow you to. And let me make one thing clear,]" I stepped closer to her and the room turned darker due to my Virus, "[if you even _think_ about harming my friends and family, I'll make sure you are back here in tiny little pieces for the humans to experiment on, got it?]"

She nodded and I could see that fear in her eyes again, telling me that she would keep her word, if only for her own sake. I relaxed and the room returned to normal. "[Glad we understand each other. And finally, when the situation requires it, you will help us deal with any other Elders and Inferiors that appear here, on Remnant. This is the only way you are going to earn your freedom.]" I remarked. "[So, what's it going to be?]"

She kept her gaze on me, defiant but still fearful. I let her ponder while her mind came to a decision, though luckily, it didn't take long for her to talk again. "[Fine, but I have my own conditions.]"

That surprised me, but I decided to humor her. "[You do realize you are in no position to make demands out of me, right?]" I said. "[But, I am willing to listen to what you have to say, as long as it is logical.]"

She nodded with a smile, as if she had won some sort of fight or something. "[First, I don't want to be treated like a pet by those humans. I am not some Palico that they can give orders to. I demand respect.]" Again with the high and mighty mentality.

"[Again with this?]" I sighed. "[Listen, nobody… you know what? Fine. If you feel like you are being treated like a house pet, then come to me. I will tell you how you are completely on the wrong,]" that made her glare even harder, but I didn't care, "[and then figure a way to solve it.]" Again, she smiled as if she was victorious, but I wasn't finished. "[The respect you demand, though, will have to be earned by proving that you actually can keep your word, and that you won't end up betraying us if the chance arises.]"

That wiped the smile off her face, but she had no other choice in the end. "[I will… agree to that. But I also want to know how this supposed freedom will work. I'm not stupid. I know you will want to keep me under control, so I want to know if I will really be free or if it will be just a lie for these humans you care about so much to use my skills as they please.]"

Okay, she has more brains that she shows. Not much more, but she at least has something. Though I doubt she has many 'skills', as she says. Brute force and control over fire, yes, but nothing else worth of mention. "[Very well. It is true that you will remain close by to one of us at all times, seeing as how we can't trust you. But, if there comes a time when you can be trusted and are no longer a threat to us or the people of this world, then I _may_ agree on being more… lenient with what you can and can't do.]"

This was the only point that might make her back down, but I think she would rather have to go through that than remain here any longer. And I wasn't lying when I said that I would be more lenient if she proved trustworthy, I just thought that she wouldn't earn that kind of trust anyway. "[Anything else you require, _your highness_?]" I said in mockery.

"[Have you already figured out why you are giving me this chance, or are you still as lost as the last time?]" I could tell by the tone of voice that, this time, it was _her_ who was mocking _me_. But it also showed that she still wanted to know.

…

I shrugged. "[I'm not entirely certain.]" I answered truthfully. "[But I think it might have something to do with the humans you hate so much. It was one of them that stopped me from killing you the first time, even if you don't like the idea of being saved by a human. And, honestly, I have lived with there for a while now, and I've seen that giving someone a second chance can be the right choice.]"

"[So, what will you do?]" I asked one last time.

This time, she seemed more convinced on what the right choice would be. She looked at the door then back at me. "[I… have one last… request…]" She said in a… fearful voice.

"[I'm listening…]" Why would she be afraid when requesting something? Whatever it was, must be either important or very embarrassing.

For the sake of my entertainment, I was hoping the second one.

She refrained from telling me though, as she shook her head and looked away. "[Forget it. I accept.]"

Now I was truly interested on what she had to say. "[I said I'm willing to listen. Surprisingly enough, your request have been rational and acceptable for the most part. I don't see why-]"

"[I said forget it!]" She turned at me, angered and ready to fight for a moment. I'll admit it, she startled me, going from willing to talk to hostile from one moment to the other. Realizing what she had done, she calmed down and looked away. "[Forget I said anything.]"

She wasn't embarrassed, nor was she completely angered, at least not at me. It was strange: up until now, she had barely showed any signs of weakness, only small moments of shyness or embarrassment. But this was different. I couldn't exactly say what emotions went through her, but I could tell that it was something she wasn't happy about. Was it some sort of regret? Maybe it was something that had to do with humanity? I couldn't tell.

But it was the first time she actually showed her true colors. And, from what I had seen up until that moment, that was something very difficult for her to do.

Nevertheless, I decided not to pry. She had proven rather defensive about it and trying to know what it was may only set her more on edge. And that is the last thing that I want, now that she has compromised to behave outside of her cell. I walked closer to the door, but turned to her before knocking. "[If you don't want to tell me, that's fine with me. Just keep your end of the deal and I will keep mine.]"

She nodded and, for a moment, I saw what, with time, a lot of patience and an _extremely_ positive view of life, could be called gratitude from her expression. That definitely was a new one coming from her. First, I learn that she has something that could be almost called a brain, and then, she shows that she can express something far yet not unlike gratitude. What was next, that she can actually be nice and be trusted as a friend?

…

Hahahahahaha! Nah.

At least, not any time soon.

With that done, I tapped the door once and it began to open. Summer and the doctor were waiting at the other side, and the Lunastra growled at the last one as she exited the room. Instead of being scared, the doctor simply shook his head. "And we still had a lot to learn from you. Luckily, this leaves us with more time to focus on other projects. All in the name of SCIENCE!"

He sped up away, not even waving his goodbyes, leaving Summer, the Lunastra and I confused. Summer was the first to react, and with a smile, she stepped forwards. "Um, hi!" She said to the Lunastra, who looked down at her, unimpressed. "My name is Summer Rose, I'm Gore's friend. It's a pleasure to meet you!"

The Elder huffed and looked at me. "[Is this really the mere human friend you talk about? The one that _supposedly_ saved my life, as you say?]"

I chuckled. "[Watch your words, Lunastra. This _mere_ human might surprise you. She definitely surprised me.]"

"Soooo… is she coming with us?" Asked Summer, unaware of what the other Elder had just said.

And that was a decision I thought long and hard before making my mind up. While I know that Summer and Taiyang can defend themselves should she betray us, Ruby, Yang and Neo were not safe, and I doubt I could keep watch over her all day and night, when I still had training to do with Dalamadur. Which was another problem in it of itself: the Life Essence was supposed to be a secret _because_ of Elders like her. Bringing her along would not only be dangerous, but also a complication.

So Dalamadur and I designed a plan. There would be always one Elder alongside her, whether it be me, my sister or Dalamadur. That was the easy part, though, but we also managed to find a way to conceal the Life Essence and its effects. Dalamadur decided that, until she could be trusted, he and I would move away from the house for training, and he would be posing as a native who will be teaching me things about this world while I taught him thing from ours. It would complicate things, but this way, we would be certain that the girls were safe and that she didn't discover anything that she didn't need to know.

I nodded to Summer. _'She is. Remember what we planned and be sure that your daughters stick to it.'_

Summer nodded and turned back to the Lunastra. "Well, then. Welcome to the family."

At those words, the Lunastra growled in annoyance and turned to walk away. Until I called her back, to the other side pf the hallway. "[Exit's this way. But if you want to remain here for a while longer, I don't mind.]"

She glared and me and walked back to us. "[Lead the way, then]" She said with an uncaring voice, waiting for me to show her the way out. While walking, I spotted Midnight and the hunter hidden in one of the labs, passing as scientists. I nodded to them as we walked by and they nodded back, making them know that everything had gone without trouble.

They would be going back to our world later on the day, but since the Lunastra was going to be close to us now, we had already said our goodbyes, with Dalamadur explaining that to return they just needed to pronounce the short chant again. And I would be lying if I said I wasn't looking forward to the next fight with Midnight, though I planned for it to have a much different ending than the first one.

Oh so different…

After a few months of training. Duh.

* * *

 **/ Midnight P.O.V. /**

We decided to not use the Life Essence inside the settlement of Patch, for security reasons. And maybe it was our bodies adapting to traveling from world to world, but we managed to keep ourselves conscious this time, albeit barely. We had to remain on the spot we appeared for a while until we felt better enough to move, and even still, we were left with a soreness in all of our bodies for a while.

What surprised me is that we appeared in a completely different spot than we left from. It was still a forest, though this one was more of a rainforest. Plants were far greater in number and there were very few pathways to walk on. Luckily, it didn't take us long to find a human made one. Following it lead us to a small village, and Icharias entered alone while I waited outside. I may look human, but my tail and my forearms still had my natural form, so it wouldn't be hard to tell I wasn't one of theirs.

He came out a bit after, with a map and a few supplies. We were at the north-west of Gildegaran, which meant we had moved quite far away from home. Luckily, in a couple of days, a caravan would leave from this town to the city, and from there we could just take another one directly home or to one of the towns close to ours. This would also allow me to be in my normal form while following the caravan, and with Icharias as their hunter, I had nothing to worry about.

And so we did. The forest around this village, while lush, didn't have many Inferiors and there were no Elders to be seen, so it allowed me to take it as my temporal residence until the day of departure. The village wasn't too far away from Gildegaran, and Icharias tried to get some information on how things had been going around here after we left, even if it only had been a few days. He didn't gather much, though, only that the Guild had been becoming more and more aggressive lately and that some of the hunters were starting to dislike the new impositions settled on them by it, with some hunters even renouncing on the Guild to go their own ways.

Even the newly formed Research Commission was taking steps away from them, even when they were very close to send the next fleet to the so called 'New World'.

It didn't took us long to reach Gildegaran. The city from outside was glorious, with its ports and the main bridge connecting it to land, followed by the rows of horn like structures leading to the main hall of the Guild. It was truly breathtaking, and with the help of a long robe and a rather menacing hunter by my side, I was able to get in for a while, as Icharias searched for a caravan that could take us home.

From the inside, the great city was no less impressive: rows of stands and people going around, buying and selling everything and anything. Humans and a few wyverians walked around, some with patience while others made haste to whatever they were heading to do. Patch, while definitely a lot more advanced than this city, was still a town, and it couldn't compare to the main street and all of its colors. But through all of that, I could still feel the Aura of sadness and overall tension around the place: hushed voices talking about the Guild, how the hunters loyal to it were becoming more common to see inside the city walls, and some even talked about how the Guild had some sort of 'new weapon' and a new band of 'extremely dangerous hunters'.

It was very unnerving. But what really bothered me was what Icharias found out.

When he asked about a caravan to take us home, we found out that none were going to our town. Now, that in it of itself wasn't too strange, seeing as how the place was several days away from here, and with several towns in between, making most caravans stop on those towns and decide then if they would pass through our town. What worried me, though, was that almost none were even considering going there, while others simply shook their heads and looked away when we asked.

In the end, it had to be little old me the one to take us there. I wasn't good on long distance journeys, so we had to stop on several villages on the way for me to rest. Nevertheless, we reduced the journey from 5-6 days, to only 3. As we grew closer to the village, or worries grew too. Asking about it only made people look sad or disheartened before telling us to not go there.

So I flew as fast as possible, getting myself almost to the breaking point after we left the last town before our own. I passed the mountain range that surrounded our village and landed on the forest. From there, Icharias convinced me to transform back to human and walk to the town in a more clam pace, for my own sake. I agreed begrudgingly, and during out walk through the forest I discovered another worrying sight. The forest was almost empty, as if all the animals and Inferiors had left all of the sudden. Not even an Arzuros or a Yian Kut Ku, just a few Jaggi going around and away from us.

It didn't take us long to figure out why, and to have our hearts shattered.

There, where our village should be, only ruins of the buildings remained. The few dozen houses that made up our village were completely on shambles, destroyed and burnt down to the core. Cinders covered the ground of the place, and the rest of the buildings fared no better. The main hall, the place where the people would gather, where our handler would give us the missions, was the only building that still stood, and it was only partially, as its back half had been teared to the ground.

"T-this… it can't be…" Icharias barely managed to whisper as he took his helmet off and hung it under his arm.

I couldn't even hold myself on my feet. I let myself drop on the ground, kneeling. My eyes roamed the entire town, hoping, _waiting_ for something to wake me from this nightmare. To see the children of the village come out and greet us. To see the leader welcome us into his home to tell him our tales alongside his wife, and for him to reminiscence about when he was a hunter. To see _anything_ but this…

I couldn't stop the tears from flowing down my face, nor did I want to. My home, the place where I had been born, where I lived in for all my life, where I had made friendships and where I had become a hunter in all but title, was now nothing more than ruins and ash. There was no sound coming from it. No children laughing, no old men and women arguing about nonsense, no merchants going around. No sound at all.

Nothing. And it was still deafening.

I screamed.

I screamed from the top of my lungs. All that sadness, all that pain, held in one single scream. Not a roar, but the scream of pain from someone who just couldn't believe what was going on in front of them. Someone who was seeing the place where they had lived and share happiness with other people turned to ashes. All the life, all the vibrant colors and all the happiness, turned into death, sadness and despair.

My scream.

I couldn't hold myself any longer and began crying nonstop. I barely noticed Icharias hugging me and me hugging back. I just couldn't put my thoughts together. What had happened? How? Was it because we weren't here? Had it been an Elder? Where was Kirin? Was he even alive?

Why…?

"Why…" I could only muster the strength to ask that, and even then, it was barely a whisper.

And still, Icharias was by my side, listening. "I don't know…" he said, whispering himself. "I don't know." Those words only made me tear even more, even if I already knew that he didn't. "Shhh. It's alright. Let it out…"

I didn't need to look back at him to know that, even while he was trying to comfort me, he was crying himself. I don't know for how long we remained like that. I don't know and I don't care. We needed each other at the moment. I let him go when I simple couldn't cry more. I looked at him and he smiled. "We'll make it through, but we need to remain strong, okay?"

I nodded and we hugged once more before letting go. He helped me to my feet and a voice caught our attention. "Midnight? Is that you?"

We both turned to the sound to find a person standing in the shadows of the trees. The person stepped closer and I felt a wave of relief pass through me. The man was wearing an armor that covered all of his body except for the head. The armor seemed to be made of a resistant leather with blue line patters over the white of the armor, and a collar of fur went around the neck and down his back. His face was that of someone in his late thirties with two red eyes, and a small horn on his front.

It was Kirin. And he was alive. **(A.N.: I refuse to use the in-game Kirin armor. That thing is ugly af for the male character in my opinion.)**

I couldn't contain myself and jumped up to hug him. He stumbled back but managed to hold himself up. "Control yourself, child." I didn't listen and just hugged him tighter. He sighed and hugged me back for a moment before letting go.

I cleared my tears and looked at him. "I'm s-so happy that you a-aren't…"

He placed a hand on my shoulder and directed his attention to Icharias. "Where is Dalamadur? Did you manage to bring him back?"

He shook his head. "He said he wanted to remain there for now, but we are here to tell you that he is alright and to inform you of what we have seen in the other world."

Those words made Kirin drop his hand off my shoulder. "You were supposed to bring him back, whether he wanted it or not." His tone was angered, even when knowing that his friend was alive. "What has gotten into that old, decrepit head of his." He breathed in and sighed, calming himself. "My apologies, but I just don't get why he hasn't come back with you. This," he said pointing at what remained of our home, "is just the beginning if we don't manage to get the Seven together."

He shook his head. "But enough of that for now. I want to know why he isn't here with you now, and I suppose you both want to know, well, what has… transpired while you were away."

Icharias and I nodded, but before he continued, I asked the question that had been nagging me the most. "Are… are there any survivors?"

He looked to me and shook his head slightly from side to side. And I had to bring up my hands to my mouth to stop me from crying again.

It didn't work.

* * *

 **A.N.: chan, chan, chaaaaan! Things are happening in both worlds, and I'm a jerk for posting these feels on Mother's Day. I don't care, sue me. Though Lunastra does get a spot on the team, even if she has a metaphorical leash on her neck. What is she hiding, I wonder?**

 **Reviews!**

 **Tempest-Rage: nope.**

 **Clockwork Bun Bun: I like to think I'm, at least, decent with fight scenes, though any help is appreciated. And I love Neo too. She's probably in my top 3 of RWBY characters.**

 **HBgamer111: ugh, you and me pal, you and me.**

 **RabidArmenian: wakey, wakey, new chapter!  
*suddenly Gore appears in the Mulan montage during the film* "How the hell did I end up here?!"  
And she has accepted it, so yeah. She has more than just pride on that brain of hers.  
It might take a while, but I think I got the right one.**

 **Knightwolf1875: well, I hope you like what I did in this chapter.**

 **UndeadLord22: boi, u don't know how right u are. Poor Summer and her crushed dreams.**

 **Guest: I can't say anything about Neo because, well,** _ **spoiler**_ **. And there is still a long way to go until that, so who knows what may change.**

 **Neb: oh, I have some interesting things planned for grandpa Zorah, don't chu worry, ma dude.  
*looks at the paragraph relating bioenergy and the virus, followed by the rest of the review* …, seriously, if you keep giving me ideas, I will never end this story… and I'm happy with it for now.  
And don't worry about the long review. **

**Guest: probably…? I'm not too sure on which ones I will be including apart from some I already mentioned.**

 **Before I finish, I've been planning on making a small series of non-canon omakes, and I want you guys to participate. They are going to develop around Summer and Gore 'visiting' other universes. What I would like you guys to do would be to send in one you would like them to visit: from videogames, to movies or series. Preferably the first one, but if you send me anything from the other two, I'll try to make due.**

 **I hope you enjoyed!**

 **Have a great day!**


	20. Chapter 18: Mysteries without solution

**A.N.: hello there! I've been playing some Apex Legends recently and let me just say that I love Bloodhound. And Caustic is just laugh after laugh with the gas.**

 **On another note, I've received your reviews on what universes I should put Gore and Summer in, and I think I know in which to start. Next chapter will be the one. The problem is that I am going to be through my exams soon and I don't know if I can keep my schedule. Next chapter** _ **should**_ **be as usual, but then, I don't know how much time I will have, so apologies in advance.**

 **Enjoy!**

* * *

 **Black Dragon, White Rose**

 **Chapter 18**

 **Mysteries without solution**

 **/ Gore P.O.V. /**

It had been a few days since the Lunastra had agreed to my deal, and since Midnight left. Summer, having the 'mother side' that she has, was worried when they didn't return the next week, but Dalamadur and I had already assumed that, if everything went right, they would, take 2 or 3 weeks to return here. And that is if they didn't encounter any complications. Luckily, she calmed down when I explained that most of it would be due to the transport methods from back in our world being much less faster than the ones here.

Maybe she was this way because the girls had started school last week. They were less time around, and Taiyang was also away teaching, which left my sister and me, the Lunastra (or, as Summer had started calling her recently, Luna) and Neo, which Summer decided that she would 'homeschool', as she said, until she had the basics of sing language covered. Summer told me that she showed sings of having been in a school before, with her level being a tad bit better than Yang.

And she managed to make Summer promise to train her when she had recovered. I was fine with that, just a bit worried about Summer being stressed. It doesn't take a genius to notice it when she just plops down by my side and groans when she has a moment of rest. I think she worries too much, but I guess that's just what mothers do.

As for the Lunastra, well… She hadn't been adapting badly, but saying that she was without problems would be a blatant lie. With her around, we couldn't transform and I was uncomfortable when I left her alone with my sister. I think she scared the Lunastra just by how she looks, especially when I explained who she was and why she was here, but I worried nonetheless. Not exactly for my sister (she was no joke, even in that state) but for the collateral damage that could occur should the two get in a fight.

They kept away from each other most of the time, so nothing had happened… yet.

As for how she behaves, that's another issue on its own. Again, not completely bad, but still a problem. She kept her end of the deal, keeping herself away from the family most of the time, and when one of them approached too close, she growled in an unspoken threat to not wander any closer. That did scare poor Ruby the first time, and the rest of the family decided to stay away most of the time. That is, except for Yang. After her sister went crying, she decided to stand up against the Elder. What surprised me was that, even for all her hate against humanity, she didn't attack Yang, just stood there, a confused expression on her face, as Yang ranted about making Ruby cry, and how she wasn't afraid of her.

After that, Yang was the only one allowed to be close to her. When I asked why, she said: "That girl has shown more bravery than any other human I've met, and she is a _child_. I still don't like her, but at least she is not a crybaby like her sister."

Well, I guess that's _some_ progress.

I have been doing rather well, on the other hand. With the training of Dalamadur, now I have _some_ control over my human form. I'm still far away from the mastery he has over it, but I won't stumble around with my attacks any more at least. I even managed to say a few human words! Thank the Ancients Summer wasn't around, or else she would have made that a moment to hold over my head as something to tease me with. I just know it.

I still haven't gotten rid of that video she said she had of me, but when I get my claws on her device, I'll make sure its gone.

Permanently.

Neo seems to have gotten over the fear she had of me and tens to hang around with me during the classes Summer gives her. I have learnt a few sings myself, so as to understand her when she does them, but I have no hurry with that for now. I just wished they did it _without_ that pest of a fur ball trying to find a place to sleep close to me. I will admit, though, it is pretty fun to pass him around with my sister when we are bored. The mutt doesn't seem to care, and even the Lunastra joins in sometimes when she feels like it.

She still treats us like she is better than us most of the time, but I've come not to care anymore. Neither does my sister, and it pisses her off when we outright ignore her if she goes too far. Fun times.

It was after a week and a half that Dalamadur brought something to my attention while we trained. We had decided to move deeper into one of the forests of the island, as to not be bothered. There was the Grimm pack that wandered close every now and then, but they were more training dummies than anything. "What do you think of our new... addition, my friend?"

I hummed as we took a rest. "[She has been keeping her end of the bargain. Though she refuses to interact with anyone that isn't Yang, and even that is limited to coming closer than the rest and answering with a few grunts and growls to her greetings.]"

"I see…" It was a little worrying when he started thinking deeply about something. I just didn't knew what was going inside his head, even if I trusted him.

"[What is it?]"

He looked to me. "Times are changing, my friend, and if we are to succeed, not only in surviving, but also in protecting those we care about, we are going to need all of the allies we can gather." Why was he telling me this now? I was already aware of it. "But if we can't trust those allies, then we have already lost."

That… albeit a bit dark, wasn't wrong. "[What do you want me to do, then? I would like nothing more than to not have to worry about the rest when I'm not there, but I don't think she will just change her views just like that.]"

He seemed lost in thought again, until his eyes shinned and he smiled whole looking at me. Oh no. "Maybe not, but you can show her."

I turned my head to the side. "[What?]"

He placed a hand on my shoulder. "I know you were quite proficient in spying humans without them noticing, my friend. You could show her why you find humanity so interesting. Maybe this will be the way to change her for the better."

…

"[So you basically want me to babysit her while wandering around a human settlement.]"

He smiled lightly. "Well, I wouldn't put it like that, but… yes."

I took a moment to breath in before answering. "[Okay. Mark this moment as the one you started turning decrepit.]" My tone changed from calm to annoyed in an instant. "[Are you out of your damn mind?! Do you know how hard it is to sneak around as a being several times bigger than the ones you are spying?! Not only that, but now there would be _two_ Elders spying on them! And I don't know how the settlements work here! It would be impossible, and downright suicidal if the humans had weapons that could harm us!]"

"Calm down, my friend." He sent a stern look my way. "And I'm not decrepit. In fact, I _do_ have a plan for you to follow. Trust me, it will work and, while you both are dealing with that, I can give you a few tasks that you can take care of back home."

"[Wait, back home? Are you saying…?]"

He nodded. "One Silver Eyed hunter may not be enough to transport me back home without harming them, but while I shall remain here for the time being, you and our mutual ally should have no problem going back with the help of a couple of people we know."

A couple? Well, there was Summer, who, I'm sure, would jump at the chance of visiting another world, but who was the-

Wait. Is he really referring to _her_?

"Albeit, one of them may not be very willing to aid us."

Yup. Now we had to ask for help to the same hunter that stabbed me and brought me here. I don't usually swear but…

Ancients – fucking – damn it.

* * *

 **/ Icharias P.O.V. /**

I walked through the forest that surrounded what was left of the village, _our_ village. I gave a look to the burnt remains through the trees and sighed. This whole discovery had left us broken, for a lack of a better term. Poor Midnight had cried herself to sleep the last night, thinking we wouldn't hear her, or that we wouldn't care. I shed tears too, though only when I was away from both of them. Not because I was ashamed of crying but because, right now, I needed to remain strong, more than anytime before.

Still, ever since the discovery of what had happened here, my armor and weapon felt heavy. On another time, other hunters and I would have laughed at calling _just_ heavy a greatsword. The weapon was hard to lift even for us, but I wasn't in the mood for jokes. The thing with greatswords was that, after a time wielding them, you became used to their weight. The last time I felt that any of my equipment was weighting me down was when I wore my first armor and picked my weapon. I was so nervous and afraid I thought I would faint.

Now, I just couldn't wear it without feeling like I failed.

After we met with Kirin again, he guided us to a small cave in the mountain range and explained what had happened. A few days before we reached the village, a literal army of the most loyal hunters had been sent to it. They weren't more than a couple of dozens, but more than one team of hunters would be too much even for an Elder. From afar, Kirin overheard what transpired, explaining that the hunters had come with direct orders from the Guild to arrest me and search the village for monsters, on the excuse that we had started taming them to build an army.

When the leader of the village explained how I wasn't there and how they didn't have any monsters inside of their homes, the hunters became livid and started searching house by house. When they found nothing, they locked everyone inside of their homes and then their leader, one clad in an armor similar to mine, though in silver colors, ordered to burn everything to the ground for wasting their time. All those that tried to escape were cut down almost immediately.

That would explain why nobody wanted to travel here, or why they gave us those pity looks when I asked about our village. Kirin said that he tried to distract the hunters, to lead them away from the village when they started throwing torches, but only a small group diverted from the main one, and even when he tried to wipe them out to help the village, the hunters proved to be extremely skilled, dodging his lightning through the forest and becoming a game of cat and mouse that only managed to slow down the pace they burnt the village down.

But I wasn't so sure he was telling the truth. While I walked through the forest to pick up some wood for the fire, I didn't notice any scorch marks, nor did the forest appear to be burnt down in any way, and with the firepower behind Kirin's lighting strikes, it would be impossible for the forest leave intact. Not only that, but there were no marks of steps or usage of objects of any kind. No leftovers from rations, no empty potion bottles, nothing that signaled that there had been a fight in the forest.

Maybe I was just acting paranoid after everything that had happened, but Kirin had also been behaving… strangely ever since we returned. He was more worried about us not having brought back Dalamadur rather than the destruction of the village. Then again, if we would have been able to return with the Elder, this might have been prevented. I still wanted to return to the village to see if there was anything that could point us towards the attackers. I had been in the halls of the Guild and I had never seen someone with a full set of Silver Rathalos armor.

Whatever the case, something wasn't right, and I was going to find out what it was.

I reached the cave and, upon entering it, I found Midnight sitting alone, looking at the fire with an empty expression. She only looked up when I placed the branches on the fire. She had remained in her human form, stating that she didn't find herself with enough energy to transform, and I didn't blame her, but we couldn't stay like this forever. "Where is Kirin?"

She pointed at the entrance of the cave. "He left a while after you. He said he wanted to make sure that there were no Inferiors or Elders around to discover us."

Strange. I could have done that while I gathered wood. Tracking monsters _was_ my specialty, after all. I looked back at her and sat down, nodding to her answer. We remained in silence for a few minutes, until I spoke. "Midnight, we have to leave."

She looked at me, surprised by my sudden statement. "What do you mean?"

"What are we even doing here, Mid?" I asked calmly. "I'm as heartbroken as you, but remaining here, wallowing in sadness will get us nowhere. The ones that did this are still out there, and we should bring this up to the rest of the Seven. After all, Dalamadur asked us to talk with Fatalis."

She looked away and rubbed her arm. I sighed and placed a hand on her shoulder. "Listen, I know I sound harsh, but I'm not trying to be cruel. If somebody can help us, those are the Keepers. Kirin can take care of himself while we are gone, and when we are finished here, we can return to the other world and ask for help to the rest."

She didn't seem too convinced, though. "Even then, what can we do? The guild has more than a thousand trained hunters. How are we even going to find the ones that did this with you having an arrest order from the Guild? I don't know, Icharias…"

I didn't want to do this, but she needed to return to reality. "Then what do you want to do? Cry yourself every night to sleep?" She looked at me with wide eyes. "I can hear you, you know? Hearing is actually required to hunt effectively in many instances." Even if many retired hunters ended deaf due to all the roars. "So tell me, are you going to live in this cave from now on, crying your heart out while the ones that did this are out there, probably drinking over the death of our friends?" She clenched her fist and I knew I had her. She just needed a little push. I softened my voice and moved in front of her. "Do you think that everyone down there would have wanted you to be like this? Midnight, you are strong. Stronger than many Elders and definitely stronger than those who killed our friends. Don't let them break you."

I saw a faint smile appear in her face as her eyes teared. She hugged me, almost pushing me in the fire, before I hugged back. We stayed like that for a few seconds before she broke the hug and wiped her tears. She nodded with a determined look. "Let's do this."

We started packing our things before she interrupted me. "Actually…" I turned to her. "Would you mind if we passed through the village one last time?"

I smiled under the helmet. "Of course not. I was already planning to, anyway."

Seeing that Kirin was taking too long to return, she left a note on one of the rocks and we walked our way down to our former home. Up close, the place was no better: ashes covered the area, the ground was black, without a patch of dirk or grass, and the trees were charred black without leaves. We walked slowly, close to each other, watching what remained of our home until something caught my attention.

It was one of the houses that had remained mostly on its feet. By the remains of the burnt flowers at one side, I could note that it was the house of the nice lady that ran the shop that provided us with all the hunter equipment that we needed. What caught my attention, though, was the door. It was opened, and moving closer, I examined it. It was obviously burnt, the wood miraculously not falling down completely, but the strange thing was the lock on it.

Rather than use curtains, as many houses around the other villages did, the people here decided to change them after Midnight practiced her first landing inside the village. Eventually, as Midnight grew, she would also blow open the closest doors around her as she flew away or landed, so we decided to add a small metal lock on the inside of each door, strong enough to keep the door closed, though nothing that a good kick wouldn't open. I should know, I helped installing them, after all.

This one didn't have the lock broken or even closed. It was burnt, of course, but relatively functional.

"What is it?" Asked Midnight, and with my suspicions rising, I scanned the floor around the door. There were no rocks or planks around it, nothing that marked the door had been blocked from the outside. " Icharias, what-?"

"The people inside this house weren't locked in." She raised an eyebrow and I explained. "Remember how we had to put small locks on the doors because of you flying in and out would open them?" She nodded, still confused. "The hunters that attacked couldn't have locked them in with them. The lock is _inside_ of the house. Whoever was trapped in just had to open the door."

"But they could have blocked it from the outside." She rebuked.

I pointed at the door. "Then why aren't there any planks or rocks to keep the door from opening. Even with all the fire, they would have left some sort of proof of them being here, but there isn't. Not even the windows are locked. Look." I pointed at them and, sure enough, she noticed that, while the glass was broken, there was nothing keeping someone from jumping out in case of a fire.

I narrowed my eyes and looked inside. "Do me a favor and see if the rest of the houses that remain are the same. I'm going in to check something." She nodded with a worried expression and went away as I stepped inside.

It was all burnt down, not a single piece of furniture survived, and yet, none of them were blocking the exits in any way. I kept looking around the small house. It had two floors, and while I scanned the first one, I found something that made my hopes rise and yet worried me even more. I knew for a fact that the lady had two daughters and that the father was a traveling merchant that we hadn't heard off in years. And yet…

There were no bodies.

I checked upstairs, going through the rooms of the house, searching under the charred beds and the entire place. Nothing. Not a single corpse. And in that kind of situation, trapped, with the fire approaching, the girls would have ran to her mother to find some comfort, and I knew she would never leave them behind, so they would have either all died in here together, or they all escaped outside, where the hunters were waiting.

Still…

I went outside and moved around the remains of the town, searching and at the same time hoping not to find what I was looking for. I managed to scour a good part of the town when Midnight came to me. "I've looked through the rest of the houses that aren't completely burnt down. It's all the same: the doors weren't locked and there was nothing blocking them or the rest of the exits."

I nodded. "I know this may not be the best time to ask, but have you found any corpses?"

She stood still for a moment, thinking. "Now that you mention it, no, I haven't." Her eyes widened. "Could this mean-?"

I shook my head. "Let's not get our hopes up. Though I have looked around most of the village and I haven't found anything either." I pointed to the main hall. "The only part that I haven't checked was the hall and its surroundings. I'll check inside, you go around."

She nodded and we moved quickly. When I reached the doors I noticed that this ones had indeed been locked from inside. The problem was that _something_ had impacted against the center of the two enormous wooden doors and blown them up open. The wooden planks that they had put inside didn't stand a chance against whatever hit the doors. It looked almost like an explosive had been thrown at them, and while we hunters had enough firepower to bring down mountain sized Elders, whatever did this only needed _one hit_ , and the extra heavy doors blew open as if they were paper. A cannon may be able to do that, but I highly doubted they had brought one. There were no tracks on the ground and the cannonball would have gone through the doors rather than explode directly.

They were no Shao-Lung scales, after all, and while the cannon shells were explosive, the wood would give before it could detonate from the impact.

Walking inside, and with my confusion and worry growing, I examined the hall. It was also burnt to the ground, but its structure was resilient and it had hold up. The hall was made to host the entirety of the village inside, as it was also a shelter against monster attacks, though the real shelter was the basement where the supplies were stored. The inside was spacious, with a tall ceiling and several rows of tables for when there was a feast or celebration. At the end of them, the main table still remained, shorted than the rest but a little bit more separated as to watch over the reunited village. It held enough space for the leader and his wife, his son and for Midnight and I.

To the side of the hall, I noticed the remains of the stand where the handler of the Guild would send us on our missions. I approached it, wondering what had happened to her. She was younger than Midnight, but she was hard working and good at her job. Had she shared the fate of the rest of the village or had the hunters taken her? She is a member of the Guild, after all, but maybe they accused her of something too.

The thing was an utter mess, and not just because it had been burnt down. It was almost as if it had been ransacked before being brought down, and then the fire caught up the remains. Giving another look to the hall, I realized something that I had overlooked before: the plates on the tables. It was more the fact that _there shouldn't be any_. They wouldn't start a feast while their village was being burnt down, and I doubt they had anything to celebrate while we where away.

Another mystery to add to the list.

I moved to where the trapdoor to the basement was, and found that it had literally been pulled off its hinges, lying to the side of the entrance. Giving it a look, it showed that whoever had opened had literally ripped it off. The thing was sturdy, so they would have needed something more than just hunters to pull this off.

I moved downwards through the stairs that lead inside of the basement. It was extremely dark and I had half the mind to call Midnight here and see if she found anything, but with the help of a couple of rocks, I lighted a torch on the wall and proceeded inside. The stairs were few in number and the inside was-. Correction: _should_ be filled with food and supplies. Just like the handler's stand, it was completely devoid of anything useful: no food, no whetstones or hunting materials, nothing.

If it had only been the stand, it would have been possible for the attackers to just carry whatever they stole with themselves. But the entirety of the basement? No, they would have needed a way to transport it, and they would have needed to come with it _before_ departing from wherever they came, meaning they were already planning on doing this. Then again, that didn't explain why there were plates upstairs. I highly doubt that whoever did this decided to have a feast on the village while it burnt. Not to mention that, again, there were no corpses in all the building.

What in all the Ancients was going on here?

And it didn't fit with what Kirin had told us in the slightest. He said the people of the town had been locked inside their houses and then burnt down. What was the reason to burn down the hall, then? If all of our friends had been locked inside their own houses, which it seemed they weren't, then nobody would have been inside and burning it down made no sense unless you just did it to finish the job. And even if they did, they ransacked the place first. It seems to me more the work of bandits than of hunters. We were taught to be effective and quick (even if we end up being somewhat of a showoffs), and hunters had it prohibited to raise their weapons against another human.

Nothing seemed to fit in this puzzle.

I went outside and searched for Midnight. She ran to me and explained that the rest of the town was the same, and to our relief, that there were no bodies lying around. I told her what I had discovered and we were both left thinking. "It doesn't match." She said, her tone more focused now that we had hope of the rest being alive. "Let's recap."

She cleared her throat. "Kirin told us that, several days ago, a few dozens of hunters came to the village and demanded that you show up for arrest, while also accusing the village of harboring monsters or taming them or whatever." She paused for a moment and looked at me. "Do you think that they know of me?"

I hummed. "It's possible, but unlikely. They may have just come up with that accusation to look around the village for me. Then again, that posses the question of why am I being pursued…"

"Well, we can't know right now, so let's try to solve what is going on around us first." I nodded and she continued. "After they told the hunters that you weren't here, the hunters decided to go berserk and burn everything to the ground, with our people _supposedly_ inside their houses, while Kirin only managed to distract a few. When he returned, the village was already on fire and the hunters were leaving."

"But that doesn't match up with what we've seen." I started counting with my fingers. "The houses weren't locked, there were no corpses inside nor outside, the main hall shows that they were throwing a feast for an unknown reason, and the place has been ransacked. It doesn't match with what Kirin had said and even if it did, why would the hunters need the supplies in there? Gildegaran is in no way short of food or hunting materials, and they would have need a way to carry all of it, which meant they were prepared to do this _before_ the attack even begun."

She nodded. "So either something happened while he and the hunters were fighting away from the village or…" She was having a hard time believing her next words, and so was I, but it looked like it. "Or he is lying."

I nodded. "It's the most likely possibility. Even if that also leaves us with why he would do it." I sighed. "We are going nowhere like this."

"Then what do you suggest we do?"

I stopped to think for a moment. "Let's go to the Seven, to Fatalis. Maybe they know something, and if they don't, we can still do what Daur asked us to do. If we don't manage to discover anything, we can go to the rest on Remnant and ask for help."

"Shouldn't we… tell Kirin? Maybe he has a reason to lie to us." She asked with a bit of sadness.

"I don't think we can trust him right now. Maybe he does have a reason, I don't know, but with the Guild on our backs, the less people that know about this, the better." Without managing to piece this puzzle together, it is best to not risk anything to chance. "And don't worry about finding Fatalis. I heard from the handlers on Gildegaran before we left to Remnant that he had taken residence on some old ruined castle. I know where it is, so we can leave now."

She nodded slightly. "Yeah. I guess you are right…"

I placed a hand on her shoulder. "I promise we will find out what has happened here and if they are alive, we will find our friends. But the only thing we can do now is trust each other and try to find out what has happened here."

She nodded and we both gave one last look at the remains of our village before departing to where the White Fatalis had been lastly seen.

To Castle Schrade.

* * *

 **/ Gore P.O.V. /**

"Absolutely not!"

"But-"

"I said no!" Shouted the hunter. If there is someone I utterly _refuse_ to call by her name is her, even if I managed to make the best out of the situation she put me on. "I'm not going to help some monsters spy on humans and that is final!"

Dalamadur sighed and rubbed his temples. "Please, Miss Day, understand that this could be for the betterment of all. If our new addition begins to understand humanity as we do, we may not have to worry about-"

"And what if she doesn't?!" She shouted again, getting the attention of the (luckily) very few people around us. Noticing, she returned to half-whispering, half-shouting again. "What if she decides to attack the people inside of whatever town you decide to go?! What if she is discovered?!"

Dalamadur pointed at me, calm but still a bit annoyed at her behavior. "That's why Gore will be going with her. He has been doing this for a while now, and he knows how to avoid being discovered. Isn't that right, my friend?"

I sighed, but nodded nonetheless. That didn't seem to calm her much, though, ranting again about this and that. I was still a bit nervous about the location we had chosen to have this reunion. We couldn't invite her to the house, with the Lunastra being there, so Summer proposed to meet with her and Ozpin in what she called a 'cafe'. Supposedly, it is the place where humans go and have a talk while enjoying drinks and some food. In the end, they pay for it before leaving.

The place was… nice, to my surprise. I did get a few strange looks on the streets and even some inside, but nobody seemed to pay me any mind. Summer told me it was because they thought I was a huntsmen, and something about going side by side with Ozpin, but I was just glad nobody suspected anything. Still, being surrounded by humans was strange and a bit off putting for me.

But that wasn't the worst part. Oh no, not by far. This 'cafe' was small, and at the time we came in, the people inside were few and the ones taking note for what we asked were always smiling and being patient, even when Summer described me what was everything on the menu. I found it even stranger that there were several types of drinks called coffee, and when I asked, Summer ordered one for me to try. "Cream with three sugars for him and another for me." She turned to me. "Trust me, you'll love it."

No, the worst part was the shouting from the hunter. When Dalamadur explained what he wanted her to do, she refused almost instantly, and with her shouting, I almost feared we were going to be discovered, even if there were no Elders in this world. Every time he asked, she refused on some excuse or another. I listened intently for the first few minutes, 'glaring' at her, but stopped after I grew bored. I then decided to talk through our link to Summer, in order to have something to do. She didn't like leaving Neo with the Lunastra, but I reassured that she would be fine with my sister around.

Ozpin seemed happy to just listen to them going back and forth, also talking to me through our link every now and then. Even now, his soul was still so strange compared to the rest. He and Dalamadur looked similar on the aspect of age, though his was different, as if it had… I don't how to describe it, but while Dalamadur's only looked old, his was almost as if it was new and old at the same, as if it had lived several lives but at the same this one was the only one.

It was giving me a headache after a while, so I decided to stop.

It was then that the waitress, as Summer called her, brought us our drinks. Mine was some sort of black-brownish liquid with a white cover. Summer nudged me to try it, and without breaking the cup (progress! Yay!), I drank from it.

If I had eyes, they would have gone wide. It was so sweet and warm at the same time! I had never tasted anything like it! I just couldn't stop myself and drank everything in one gulp. I sighed in pleasure and let the cup down, smiling widely.

I realized the entire table was silent, and when I looked back around, everybody's eyes were settled on me with different expressions. Summer was on the verge of laughing, while Dalamadur and Ozpin looked at me with small smiles, almost with a look of understanding. The hunter just had a raised eyebrow.

I felt heat rise to my face and turned to Dalamadur. "[Did I do something wrong?]"

He let put a small chuckle and shook his head. "No, nothing like that. It's that you aren't supposed to drink it when is burning hot, but that's just preference. Here." He passed me a napkin. "You may want to clean your… armor."

My armor? A loud snap made me turn my head and I looked to summer as she laughed silently and showed me something. The image in her 'not-a-scroll' showed me just a second ago, and I noticed a line of white of the cream over where my armor/skin opened to my human mouth.

Oh. So that's why she was laughing. And now she had something else to tease me with. Great.

I cleaned myself and snatched the device from her hand before she could react. "Hey! Give that back!" She tried to grab hold of it, but I just stood up and raised my arm as high as I could. I was still way taller than her, and even if she jumped, she couldn't reach it.

I laughed at her attempts and made more fun of her by shaking it slightly, just as she did with that little ball of fur when they played. That drew the laughter from our table and the ones around chuckled at the scene. Summer realized at the attention and blushed while pouting at me. "G-give it back, you jerk!"

I chuckled. _'Sure.'_ Even with my answer, I kept it high away from her reach. _'If you can reach it.'_ Her face reddened even more. _'Or you can delete whatever you have in here against me.'_

She grumbled something before answering. "Fine."

With a smile, I lowered my hand to her reach and she took it back quickly, and with me looking over her shoulder, I watched as she did what I told her. At least, I think she was. I didn't know how those things worked, so I just guessed she was doing it. "There! Are you happy now?"

I nodded once and sat again, taking on the amused looks the rest of the table was giving us. Summer, still red on the face, sat beside me, not looking at any of us and trying to make herself as small as possible. Which wasn't hard, considering she was the smallest one at the table.

Now everyone around us knew that too.

To my dismay, though, Dalamadur went back at trying to convince the hunter to help us get home and back. "Again, no." Luckily, she seemed calmer, whether it was because of the small show or the drink, I didn't care. "Even if I did, I rather take you than him." Her glare to me said it all. "I don't trust him."

"You can't." That statement made us all turn our heads to him. "One single Silver Eyed human can't transport me. At least, not without harm. The one that brought me here died and the Essence on his weapon was completely destroyed." He shrugged. "The bigger the soul, the more Essence and people are needed to transport it."

His own statement made him stop for a moment and think. _'What's wrong?'_

"He couldn't transport me…" He murmured, making us look at each other. I had to nudge him to make him realize we weren't ok the loop. "Icharias couldn't transport me." He turned to the hunter. "A soul like mine, along with another few Elders, can't be transported from world to world with just one person. They would need more, which meant that Icharias wouldn't have been able to bring me back home without sacrificing himself, which I doubt he was planning on doing."

Ozpin caught om quickly. "Then why would your friend send only one? Didn't he know?" Dalamadur nodded and the table remained in silence for a few seconds.

"Well," said Summer, finally having the bravery back to speak, "I don't know the answer to that, but maybe I can help with our other problem." She pulled out the device again, this time making sure I wasn't reaching for it, and showed us a map of some of the villages around Vale. "Why don't I go with them to some of these villages and towns? I can keep Luna in check alongside Gore and do damage control in case anything happens."

Dalamadur hummed and Ozpin looked at the map, then back at me. "If you promise that you two can keep her in check, I will be willing to allow this."

Summer looked at me, waiting for my answer. _'Are you sure we will be safe? I don't like being able to retaliate, but I won't stand idle if they have weapons that can hurt us.'_

She shook her head. "They don't. They have militias and maybe a hunter in them, but nothing you should worry about."

I looked at Ozpin and nodded. "Very well. I assume you will be her transport for the day, so I'll leave you to plan the rest." He turned to the hunter as he got up. "Are you coming?"

She looked at me and then back at him. "Yes." With a couple of goodbyes, they left shortly after.

And I felt like I wanted another one of those drinks.

"That little-!" We turned to Summer. "Argh! He's done it again! You can count on Ozpin to help with matters that involve him, but he somehow always manages to leave without paying!"

Huh. She's right. Well, not like I could do anything. I still needed to get the attention of the waitress to get me another. How to do that without being able to speak human? Complications, complications.

* * *

 **A.N.: I had half a mind to call her Sarah Connor, but I didn't want killing time machines to pop up by mistake. And what could be Kirin hiding? Hmmm. HMMMMM.**

 **Reviews!**

 **Knightwolf1875: all will be revealed soon, but it may be too late by then… MAUAHAHAHAHAH.**

 **darkvampirekisses: I'm ashamed to say I haven't actually played the Tales of games, but I'm not against to gather info and doing something with it.**

 **RabidArmenian: and house crazy welcomes her! Soon, Neo will be crazy too! And Gore has been lucky. As for Lunastra, she has more fears than she shows, and all will be unveiled soon. And the mystery of the village remains. Call Sherlock Holmes, Scooby-Doo, every investigator in the room! And thank you!**

 **Guest: another series I haven't played – me is poor xd – but I know a bit of it, sooooo maybe.**

 **Guest: I can't say, but the speedy dragon boi is one of my favorites~**

 **Guest: same as before, though it would be interesting to see what I could do.**

 **Delta prime2: I have heard about Worm before but I don't exactly know what it is. I think it some sort of web-comic/role-playing thing-y? Idk. Though the other two might be interesting. The Titans may be a match up for Gore.**

 **YeTianshi: thank you! I hope you like the rest of story!**

 **I hope you enjoyed!**

 **Have a great day!**


	21. Chapter 19: Bonds of a lifetime

**A.N.: hello there! I just wanted to say that this chapter will probably be the last one you guys get for a couple of weeks. Before you star shouting and asking questions, NO, I am not quitting this story. It's just that the next few weeks I have the exams and I need to study and pass, which means less time to write.**

 **Don't worry. After I finish we will return to normal, but I don't know if I will be able to post a chapter in the coming weeks, so don't get any hopes up.**

 **With that said, enjoy!**

* * *

 **Black Dragon, White Rose**

 **Chapter 19**

 **Bonds of a lifetime**

 **/ Gore P.O.V. /**

It had only been a couple of hours of journey. It had been hard convincing Lunastra come with Summer and I, but it was either this or spending another day doing nothing around Summer's house. Summer also asked Neo if she wanted to come, but the small girl had formed a strong bond with my sister quite fast. I think they understood each other, seeing as how they both went through a lot of pain in their lives, almost bonding over it.

That, or the recent increase of pranks by their part on the household. It was easier for me since I couldn't transform into human form, but the inside of the house was filled to the brim with traps. When did they have the time to do that, I don't know, but luckily, Summer's a trained warrior, so getting past them is not too much of a hassle for her.

That doesn't mean she came out unscathed.

As I was saying, it had only been a couple of hours, and I was already regretting this. The Elder-shaped ball of prepotency and pride flying beside me had been obnoxious ever since the beginning of the trip. Since we couldn't tell her the true purpose of the outing, I made up the excuse of learning how humans acted in order for her to avoid them in case she encountered any when alone. Not only had she opposed the trip at first, saying that 'why did she need to learn all of that', but even after managing to get it through that thick skull of hers, she had been complaining and making unnecessary comments during the entirety of the flight.

"[Why does that human need to come?]" "[Where exactly are we going?]" "[You are really letting her ride you on your back?]" "[Why couldn't we do this back at that rotting town close to where we are staying?]" On and on and on! She just couldn't shut up for _five minutes_! The village we had chosen, one which name I couldn't care less to remember, wasn't too far away. Just a few more minuets and we could land, but holy Ancients, did she make the travel feel like entire days! But that wasn't the worst part. Oh, no, the worst part was the same _fucking_ question she repeated over and over since we left.

"[Are we there yet?]" She asked, _again_. I swear the scales under my horns were twitching at this point. And I _knew_ she was doing it to anger me. I could see the smile she had plastered on that face of hers.

Oh, you don't know how much I wanted to stop and just rip her tongue out so she couldn't talk again. The only things stopping me from doing it were that Summer was on my back and the incredible amount of patience I had developed during the years.

"[Are we there yet?]"

Which was dwindling quickly.

Before I could snap, Summer turned around, sensing my anger, and addressed her. "Whatever you are saying, can you stop? _I'm_ the one on his back, and if you make him do something rash, _I'm_ the one that can go into freefall." We weren't flying too fast, which meant she didn't need to shout.

Not that we were flying extremely high either, but the fall would be lethal for a human. Then again, Aura and Semblance are something that may alter the result of Summer falling of my back.

The Elder huffed. "[I will, when you tell me how much more we have to fly until we arrive.]"

"[What? The _little princess_ can't handle a bit of exercising?]" I mocked. "[Oh, I'm sorry. I didn't know you hadn't done anything in your entire life that wasn't admiring yourself!]"

She growled and glared at me. "[Do _not_ call me that!]"

"[What? _Little princess?_ ]" I asked, and upon receiving another growl, I smiled at the chance of revenge. "[My apologies, _little princess_. I didn't know you didn't like it, _little princess_. I thought you'd be okay with the title, _little princess_.]"

It did surprise me her reaction, which was far more hostile than I thought, as small flames appeared in her mouth and she glared at me with all her fury. "[Shut up!]"

I rolled my head to the side, annoyed. "[Fine. We are already landing anyways.]" I could already sense the town with my feelers. It was small, with rock walls just a bit higher than the Lunastra and a bit smaller than me, though not very thick. I could feel with detail the people inside, going around their lives without too much worry. Summer had told me that this town, even if relatively away from the main city, was guarded by a couple of huntsmen that kept away any threat from the surroundings.

Sensing a place to land, I called to the other Elder. "[Follow me.]" She was still frowning at me, but I think that was the natural state of her face when I was around. The clear, though smaller than the one at Summer's house, was big enough for the two of us and Summer, as she hopped off and turned to us.

"Okay. I'm going to go in and present myself as a hunter going through. You two go around and do your thing while I keep an eye on everything from inside." The plan was simple: the Lunastra and I would go around the village as I showed her what humans did and how they behaved, while Summer kept an eye on the guards and anyone that could notice us.

I just hoped this worked.

She skipped away and we moved closer to the walls. There were a few patrols on them, but we had enough space between them to move without being seen. As Summer greeted the guards and entered the village, I turned to my temporary companion. "[Can you be silent and sneaky while we do this?]"

She smiled smugly. "[Hmm. Can I?]" I turned my head to the side. I knew full well what she meant, but I just wanted to make sure. And tease her. After noticing me, she snarled. "[Of course I can!]"

"[The shut it and follow me.]" Surprisingly enough, she _was_ silent. Even with her size, she managed to make almost no sound as we closed in to the walls, with me crouching in order not to be seen. Making sure nobody was around, I pointed upwards. "[Look up and tell me what you see.]"

She stretched her neck and looked over. Her eyes turned uninterested. "[A bunch of humans going around their pitiful lives.]"

What did I expect from her? I sighed. "[ _Apart_ from that. Tell me what they are doing.]" And before she could answer, I added: "[And don't say 'nothing worth telling']"

She shut up, but that made her focus more. "[Some are just walking around, but I see a few entering buildings and coming out with… food and… stuff, I guess? There are a couple of armed ones, but they don't seem dangerous. They are just going around and waving at people.]"

Progress. Good. "[Okay, what more?]"

She turned to me. "[Can't you sense them with your feelers or whatever?]"

"[This exercise is for you, not me. Just keep talking and don't waste more time. The next patrol won't take long.]" I grumbled.

"[Tch. Fine.]" She looked again. "[Just more humans doing- wait. There's a family. Two parents and two children. They seem to be… playing with some sort of ball? They're happy, that's for sure. Oh! Ha! That's what you get, you weakling!]"

"[What happened?]" I already knew, but I wanted her to keep talking.

"[One of the small humans hit the armed one with a ball. Well, that was a short life.]" She remained silent, watching for a few seconds before she spoke again, surprise and annoyance on her tone. "[Wait, why did he do that? He just handed the ball back and patted him with a smile! It doesn't make sense! Isn't he angered? He is definitely stronger than the entire family, even if he is still a weakling. Why doesn't he just… do what he wants?]"

"[What if he is already doing it?]" I said, confusing her even more. "[Come. The patrol will be here soon.]"

We went back into the forest before the patrol reached us. "[What do you mean by that?]"

I smiled. "[Do you know why I respect humanity as whole? Why I already did before even meeting Summer? It's because whatever weakness, whatever challenge that they are presented with, they are able to surpass if they work together.]" She was confused, but interested. "[How do you think they have survived both in here and back at our world? It's because, instead of fighting each other as we do, they stand together. They create towns, cities and villages, shelter for their friends and family, even strangers. Sure, humanity isn't perfect: they can also kill each other and hate other humans. But in the end, they still manage to prevail and conquer by standing together.]"

"[Why do you think hunters come after us in groups of four?]" I continued. "[It's because, together, humans can be stronger and more intelligent than us. And they do it without losing who they are, without giving away what makes them themselves. It's their own strength.]"

She seemed interested, but that annoying façade of hers returned when she scoffed. "[And what? I could still go in there and kill all of them. They aren't warriors.]"

With a shake of my head, I continued. "[No, they aren't. And sure, you could take this village without problem, but you wouldn't dare with Vale itself, now would you?]" She looked away, knowing full well that she wouldn't survive an attempt like that. Only a mad Elder would try it. "[Precisely. And even if you destroyed this village, it wouldn't take long for humans to rebuild it or create a new one, not to mention that you would give them a common enemy, making them all go after you. They are far more united than we are. The only time in our history that we worked together was when we downed the Ancients and their empire ages ago.]"

"[But that was before I met Summer.]" I explained, with her attention still on me. "[She showed me that humans and Elders can live and prosper together, that we do not need to fight to survive. She showed me the best side of humanity, and after I reunited with my sister, I actually felt _happy_ for the first time in years.]"

She barked a laugh at that. "[What? Having a territory to yourself wasn't enough?]"

I shook my head. "[Was it for you? And I mean happy, not _content_. Have you actually met an Elder that is _happy_ about his or her life? I know you are young, but you know how we behave. Were you actually happy with how you were before being brought here?]"

She seemed ready to answer, but her mouth closed and she looked down in thought. While she was silent, I tried to recall when I stopped being happy and just turned content with what I had. Even if my brother and my sister were always arguing and fighting, it never became serious, and watching them banter, even joining in, was always fun. I think it was after I took my revenge on his death that it all went downhill, and my sister's accident just made it worse. After gaining control of the Steppes, the only things that actually brought some light were visiting my sister and Dalamadur and the occasional reaction I got from humans when scaring them.

"[You… aren't completely wrong.]" She admitted, to my surprise. "[While having my own territory did fill me in a way, it was always wondering when the next attack from another Elder or the hunters would be. If not, it was the pesky Inferior that wandered in and bothered me.]"

For once, she was being honest, and I wasn't going to tease her about it. Well, maybe later. I spoke. "[That's why, even if the chance presents itself, I won't return to our world. Not permanently, at least.]" Her eyes went wide as she turned to me. "[Why would I? My sister is already here and she is better than she has ever been before, and I have made friends here that I could trust with my life, even if they are humans.]"

That last phrase made her look away in disgust, but it wasn't as bad as I thought. Still, she needed more to really change, or to take the first step. I sighed. "[Listen, I know I told you back at your cell that you didn't need to like humans, but I think you just need to find one that you could trust]" She was still wearing a frown but her eyes were on me again. "[I know it goes against what you have learnt from your life as an Elder-]"

She snorted. "[And hundreds of years of fighting.]"

"[But it's not as bad as you may think.]" I ignored her remark and kept talking. "[In fact, you've already started living with a few humans. Tell me, have they treated you badly? Have they tried to kill you? I won't try to sell you the illusion that all humans are like them, but they are also the proof that not all humans see us as monsters.]"

"[So you want me to try?]" She said in a low voice. I nodded and she let out another laugh, this one far bitter. "[This… lesson, it was never for me to learn to avoid humans, was it?]"

That caught me by surprise, but I guess there was no point in lying anymore. I shook my head and looked towards the village. "[We wanted to show you that humanity is not as bad as you think. Though, it was not my idea. It came from… a friend. I still resent you for what you did, but he made a very good point: there are dark times coming, and if we can't trust our allies, then we have already lost.]" She raised an eyebrow and I shrugged. "[He's always been cryptic. But he is right. And right now, I can't trust you, because I don't know if one day you will turn on us and harm Summer or the girls.]"

Her face turned suspicious at my comment. "[But you are still letting me out of my cell knowing this?]"

"[We wanted to give you a second chance. For you to prove yourself.]" She turned pensive and I spared the village a look. "[I think we are finished here. Think about it. Do you want to return to your territory, worried if you will survive to the next day, or do you want to take a chance and try for a better life, a happy life? Because if you do want the last one, it requires change from your part, and change requires effort.]"

She didn't say anything else as I told Summer that she could leave. She didn't utter a single word even on the journey back. Not a single complain, not a snarky remark, nothing. The usually annoying Elder was completely lost in thought, and it made me nervous. Not because of the lack of talk, oh no, _that_ is welcomed. What worried me was what path she would choose after today's events.

* * *

When we reached home, I could sense my sister and Neo on the backyard. With that alone, I already was suspicious. Every time those two got together, someone was about to get pranked. And with nobody inside the house, I was afraid that we were going to be their next targets. My suspicions rose when they were showed to be waiting with smiles, acting as innocent as a dragon and a child could.

I landed on the spot of land that they had left free for us. I realized my mistake too late, just as my paws landed on the ground. It gave down and my entire legs went inside as I face planted. I didn't take the worst part, though. Summer, who was readying herself to jump off my back, was launched forward, flying with a yelp and skidding a few meters before stopping face down in front of the two perpetrators. The whole, while deep, wasn't extremely big, and it wasn't too hard get myself up and growl at them.

Their chuckles continued even after Summer raised her face from the ground and spitted the land she had almost swallowed before. She got up and dusted herself off, but I could tell that she was going to have clean her clothes later. "Neopolitan Rose Xiao-Long!" When the full name left her mouth, Neo stopped giggling and a look of pure terror took over her face. "You could have hurt someone with that, you know? As punishment, you don't get to have dessert for the rest of the week."

"[And you, sister,]" I said, bringing her attention to me, "[are coming tomorrow with me for a _special_ training session with you-know-who.]" I stepped closer and she gulped. "[I'm sure he'll be more than glad to stay a little longer. It's been a while since you did any exercise worth of mention. We'll see if you can keep up."]

That silenced her and gave Summer the opportunity to regard them both, while Neo pleaded at her feet with fake tears. "Now, are there any more traps like this one?"

The two looked at each other, then behind me. I turned and watched as Lunastra turned to walk away, watching the whole scene in silence. I looked over where she was heading. Huh, so that's where the earth from the whole went. The moment she stepped forward, a cord under her feet snapped and the blankets holding the ground let their charge drop just on top of her.

I thought she would burn the blankets – and half the forest around it – and for a moment, it would seem like she would. But then she stopped, growled and shook the dirt off herself, laying down without a word or reaction to follow. With her back turned to us, the only sign that showed that she was awake was the tail flopping up and down.

My brain was brought away from it by the scream behind me. "Neo! Did you use the clean blankets to do that?!"

Well, I hope she had enjoyed her short life. "And you don't get to leave scot-free from this either! I'm not letting you watch over Neo ever again!" She addressed my sister and I turned around. Neo was trying to get away from Summer's grasp, while my sister sent me a pleading look.

I smiled and sat down, making a look of betrayal appear on her face. Yeah, you brought this upon yourself, sis.

* * *

Later during the day, the rest of the family returned and started chatting and talking about how their day had gone. Ruby had done this, Yang had been there, Taiyang had taught that. I wasn't paying too much attention at the time. Not because I didn't care, mind you, but they were happy when they returned home and nobody seemed to have had any trouble, so I was glad with knowing that.

Right now, I was worried about other things.

When the night dropped, the Lunastra was still silent. She hadn't even went with my sister and I to get something to eat. I didn't want to risk going too close to her, but I also didn't want her to be like this forever. She needed to make a decision, and we couldn't wait for the last moment. Plus, seeing her like this was… unnerving. Not because I missed her way of talking or the things she said, but because her normal attitude made her predictable and less of a threat. With her like this, I didn't know if she would snap at us without warning or just return to her old self.

The other part of my head was focused on my sister. Ever since she had come to this world, she had been more responsive, more like her old self. Even if there was no way to reverse the Ascension, she couldn't stay like this forever. So the only way out of her condition was forward. Before, I would have been worried that she would have remained like this for the rest of her days. But now I had hope that she could make a full recovery.

The problem was completing the Ascension. In it of itself, the process was relatively painless. You find a safe place to hide, let the power push through and it all should go smoothly. At least, that was what my brother said to us as advice. Not the best, I know, but words weren't his forte. The problem was when it _didn't_ go as planned and things like what happened to my sister occurred. It was a deformity, a half-completed transformation. It was Chaos.

And I was afraid that my sister had grown too afraid of the pain to even try it anymore.

These thoughts kept me awake after the rest had already gone to sleep. I could only hear the crickets while I looked towards the moon. It was beautiful and still terrifying. What could have even caused that? I had the same thoughts when I first arrived here and I still couldn't find an answer. Had it been other Elders before us? Maybe something different? And what reason could it have to blow up the moon like that? Maybe it was the aftermath of a battle?

Well, Remnant appeared to be intact and it didn't seem like it was going to blow up any time soon, so I was fine with that for now.

I snapped back to reality when I noticed movement with my feelers. The Lunastra had moved. Not much, but she was looking around the clear. One of the good things of not having eyes was that you could fake being asleep, and so I did. With her like this, I rather not risk being caught off guard, so I waited until she got up and turned to me. She walked at a calm pace, though she didn't seem to be trying to sneak towards me, so I let her approach.

When she was right in front of me, she spoke. "[Hey, lowly Elder, wake up.]" It would seem as if her attitude was back.

I would say I was happy, but… "[What do you want?]"

She stared at me as I lifted my head in her direction. And just as it came, it was gone, and she showed a little bit more of her _real_ self. "[I… I have been thinking about what you said…]"

You make it too easy. "[Oh, so that's why there was smoke coming out of your ears.]"

As I chuckled, she growled and stomped one foot down. "[Shut up! I'm being serious.]" She whispered. "[As I said, I was thinking and… you said that, if I wanted to change, I needed to… make an effort on my part… How?]"

"[It's not going to be easy, if that's what you are wondering.]" I answered. "[You need to step back down to reality. We do not own the world, but neither do the humans. And to understand that, you need to understand them. Tell me, if a human killed someone you loved, how would you feel?]"

An angered look took hold of her face. "[What kind of question is that? Angered, furious even. I would want revenge.]"

"[Then how do you think a human would feel if you did the same?]" She turned her head down. "[You need to put yourself in their place, and comprehend that we aren't that different from one another. You need to have _empathy_. That is the first step, and the hardest. From there, it should be easier for you to regard humans not as something lower than you, but equals.]"

"[How?]" She asked again. "[How can you consider humans as equals? They're so weak, so… meaningless. They are like vermin that you can't fully deal with.]"

"[Yet here they are, growing and creating things that would be away from the reach of any Elder. The thing you call 'weakness' they see it as a challenge, a way to improve themselves. And whatever they can't do together, they build and create to surpass the obstacles that they encounter.]" I answered. "[Being strong doesn't mean you can't be weak. Pure brute force can only get you so far. And humans prove that strength means nothing if you can outsmart your enemy or you have the numbers advantage.]"

She growled. "[Fine, I get it. Humans aren't _that bad_. But… equals? I don't think I can.]"

"[It doesn't need to be instantaneous. You need to actually see it by yourself to understand what I mean.]" I pointed to the house behind her. "[And I can't think of a better family to show it to you.]"

She looked to the house then back at me. She remained silent for a while, but this time it seemed different. Before, she wasn't afraid of asking or doubting, but she seemed to be having a harder time with whatever she wanted to say next. "[If… if I accept, w-which I haven't yet, you…]" She then muttered something I couldn't hear.

"['I' what? If you don't speak louder, then-]"

"[You won't leave me behind!]" She blurted out, almost shouting. It took me a moment to realize what she had just said, and the meaning behind it. "[You promise that I won't be thrown away if I join?]"

She… was afraid of being abandoned? That is something I wasn't expecting, much less to show over her own pride and stubbornness. Then again, everyone's afraid of something. The question is why. Why is she afraid of being abandoned? Looking at her, I noticed that, while she still tried to maintain her posture and overall attitude, I could see in her eyes that she really was afraid of that happening. The only explanation I could imagine was that she was left behind as a pup or something similar.

In any case, that she was willing to show this side of her deserved an honest answer. If she didn't want to talk about her past, then fine. There are some parts of mine that I also do not wish to talk about. "[As long as you do not betray us, I see no reason to do that to you. I promise that you won't be thrown away like some defective weapon if you join us.]"

It was almost like an enormous weight had been taken off her shoulders when the words left my mouth. She looked up to the moon, now far more relaxed than I had ever seen her. And her tone wasn't condescending or afraid, just calm. "[I have one last question. Do you really think that this, what you are planning, will work?]"

I thought about it for a few moments. The possibility of it working _was_ there, and we had the assistance of powerful people, like Ozpin and Dalamadur, but it wasn't going to be easy. In fact, I wasn't sure we could make it. But I had hope. And I wasn't going to stop until I made sure that everyone I cared about was happy.

"[To be honest, I don't know.]" I answered, directing my sight to the moon as well. "[But I won't stop trying. Because I have people around me that I want to see happy. I want to be happy myself too. And while we don't rule the world, you know just as well as I that, when an Elder really puts its mind into something, whatever or whoever dares to stand in their way, gets killed.]" My 'eyes' turned back to her. "[Will we succeed? Hell if I know. I can't see the future. But as long as I live, I plan on trying.]"

With that, silence reigned over us as I waited for her answer. It took her several seconds, but she finally sighed and smiled at me. But unlike before, this smile wasn't cruel or malicious. I couldn't guess what feelings it carried behind, but I could tell that this was a real smile. "[Fine. Since you are clearly so desperately in need of help, I guess I could provide some assistance. I hope you appreciate the help I'm giving you. You should be honored.]"

I snorted. "[Yeah, sure. Next thing we know is that fish start growing on trees.]"

She _laughed_. She actually laughed at that. It wasn't much, just a small giggle, but it showed that she was more willing to trust me, so I was surprised that she did. And while I was still somewhat sore about the words she spoke when we first met, she was proving to me that giving her a second chance may not have been such a bad idea. I would have to tell Dalamadur that his plan worked, at least we made progress with her. Though I had the feeling that telling him would boost his ego, followed by 'I told you so'.

Not something I was exactly looking towards doing.

She turned to walk back to her spot only to stop and speak again. "[You _will_ keep the details of this conversation between us. I already humiliated myself enough today and for the rest of my life.]"

Well, at least she returned to being predictable. "[I can agree to that, but when the time comes, you may find someone who you trust. Maybe then you will need to talk more about yourself.]" She turned her head with a glare. "[Just some advice.]"

She didn't answer and returned to sleep shortly after. It wasn't long before I did the same, this time with a calmer mind. That was one problem sorted for now.

* * *

 **/ Midnight P.O.V /**

It took us several days to reach Castle Schrade. Not only because the place was in complete ruin and _nobody_ wanted to even wander close to it, but because we had to avoid almost every village. It would seem that the arrest order on Icharias had started to reach the outer villages and towns by the time we began our journey. And it was even more problematic with the substantial reward the Guild was offering in exchange for bringing him in.

Luckily, not all of it were bad news. The further away we went from Gildegaran, the less the hunters wanted our heads. You see, with the new change of leadership in the Guild, several towns and villages away from Gildegaran had almost ben left at their own luck. With basically no resources or missions coming from the Guild, most hunters out there were not too happy with the new changes. Sure, they still had the missions from their village or town, but that's it. Thus, when we showed ourselves, or at least, Icharias did, the hunters on those places couldn't care less about us. It may be a petty revenge, but it was a revenge for them nonetheless.

And while our travel became easier the closer we got to Schrade, the castle was still far away from the closest village, which meant we had to make our way the last couple of days out in the wild. And that was with me flying for as long as I could, as walking would have taken us far longer than just two days. We didn't encounter too many Inferiors, especially the closer we got to the castle, but we had to deal with a Rathalos and a Rathian that attacked us for being in their territory.

A shame for them we weren't some scared civilians.

In any case, we finally reached Castle Schrade, tired and worn out, but still combat ready if the situation required it. The place, tough, was a complete mess. As far as we knew, the Schrade Kingdom had been struck by a disaster thousands of years ago. Nobody knows exactly what happened, but historians say that the disaster, whatever it was, had struck almost as if it had originated in the center of the kingdom itself. All in all, the destruction of the Schrade Kingdom was a complete mystery.

Though, if you take into account the now only inhabitant of the ruins, it isn't too hard to imagine _who_ brought down the kingdom.

The ruins of stone covered every street, or what was left of them, as we approached the castle. The skies were covered in a red hue, indicating that we were on the right place. Still, looking around as we progressed, I could see that, while most of the city had been lost to time, a lingering dread and unpleasantness filled the air. Almost as if warning us to run away and never look back to this place. It was unsettling.

We decided to stop by the small camp that the Guild had settled close to the castle in case any missions were to be made against the lone Elder that occupied it. In the end, only one mission was ever given permission to be enacted. Four of the strongest hunters went after the White Fatalis, in order to 'rid this place from its monstrous influence'. The Fatalis and its 'monstrous influence' are still here, the group isn't, so you can imagine the result of that mission. Suffice to say, after that disaster, the Guild has never sent another group against him.

After our small stop, we proceeded to the castle itself, to the courtyard, more specifically. It was an enormous space divided in the middle by an opened gate. If the city was eerie, this place was outright frightening. My instincts were screaming at me to _run_ , to get the fuck away from this place as fast as I could. And through all of that I could feel a presence that permeated the entire place, almost as if daring anyone to come near and challenge it, knowing full well that whoever or whatever tried would end up in pieces.

We moved through the courtyard slowly, not sure on where to go next. That is when I felt it. The presence got stronger which every passing second and I grabbed Icharias' arm, trembling myself. He stopped immediately and reached for the handle of his weapon, not pulling it out yet. He looked around, trying to find the source of my discomfort, of my fear. But I knew where it was, or where it was heading, more precisely. The presence was high in the air, flying at a calm, almost uncaring pace.

But it was heading straight towards _us_.

"Icharias, we have to-" I was cut off as the strange storm that covered the place began to spew out red lightning far more frequently. And before any of the two could say a thing, the presence reached us.

We turned both our heads when we heard the flapping of wings. Soon after, it showed himself. Landing on the top of a tower, White Fatalis stood in all his might. With the storm behind him and the red lightning moving through his body, it was almost like looking at a god.

A very, _very_ pissed off god.

None of us said anything for a while, only the thunder in the background stopping the silence from taking hold. My instincts were still screaming at me, but I forced myself to remain calm. We hadn't come here to fight him, just to ask him some questions in hope that he has answers. Even then, neither I nor Icharias could utter a single word, not even move a finger.

So, the Elder in front of us decided to take the chance. **"Leave this place or lose your lives for your trespassing."**

His voice was loud and ominous, almost as if it could get inside of every corner in your mind. It sounded like a normal voice, yet at the same time it send chills down my spine every time a word came out of it. While I took a moment to compose myself, Icharias spoke. "Leader of the Seven, we mean no harm. We are here on request of a friend and in search of answers." He let go of the handle of his weapon as he said this.

This caused the Elder to narrow his eyes at us. **"On request of whom?"**

This time it was me who spoke. "Dalamadur, sir. He is still alive and asked us to tell you what he has discovered."

That got a reaction out of him, his head reeling back slightly and humming deeply. He looked at us even more intently next, making us almost take a step back. **"And what questions do you wish to ask me, apprentice of Kirin, hunter?"**

We both looked at each other. "Our village was attacked by the Guild while we were away, but the story Kirin has told us doesn't match what we have discovered by ourselves. Also, Dalamadur told us to ask you about an Elder called 'Alatreon', one of the Seven."

The last sentence made the Elder let out several deep and low laughs. He looked away for a moment. **"Dalamadur, always so worried about nimieties."** He turned back to us and spoke once more. **"I can see that you are not lying, apprentice of Kirin, hunter, but I'm afraid your ignorance reaches further than you imagine."**

With those words, the storm seemed to recede and he stepped down to our level slowly. Just as his paws reached ground, a white light covered his whole body, slowly changing his form. By the time we were able to look back, the Elder before us had transformed into a human, completely covered in a white armor with read decorations. He was taller than Icharias, but I would say that just a bit smaller than Dalamadur. Nevertheless, his presence was still there, if lessened, which I was thankful for as I released a breath I didn't know I was holding.

He stepped towards us and took off his helmet. The two horns that were pointing backwards, almost antler-like, remained on his head. He had pure white hair, short and with red strands here and there. His eyes were pure red and the eyelids had something akin to red face paint around them. His skin was almost white pale, but he didn't look like some sick human. And while the face showed some signs of aging, with a single look, he could dispel any doubt of him not being in his prime.

Icharias stepped forward and did a small bow to the Elder. Fatalis nodded to him, which he took as a sign to speak. "What do you mean with that?"

He turned his head to me and I gulped. Those eyes… I could feel almost as if they could see through my very own soul. It was like Dalamadur, but worse. He stepped closer to me and I found myself completely paralyzed. He stopped a few centimeters away, looking straight at me, almost as if looking for something.

A few tense seconds passed until he regarded Icharias again. "I will answer your questions and hear what my old friend has told you." His voice was still deep and low, but it now seemed like the one of a normal human, which eased my nerves. "But you must also know something of great importance."

What he said next was something I would always remember. It just came out of nowhere, just so suddenly, that I found myself lacking words. I found myself so terrified, so… vulnerable that I couldn't even blink. I felt as if a dagger had been driven right through my heart. Which was a pretty good metaphor if we take into account what he said.

"Kirin has betrayed you and the Seven, and by my judgement, he is no longer one of us, for he is the one that allowed the hunters into your village."

* * *

 **A.N.: ohhhhhh, shiiiiiiiit! Things are happening and not all of them are good. Because, really, if everything went completely alright in any story, it would be boring as fucko.**

 **I'm truly sorry that I won't be able to post the next chapter as always after this one, but real life calls, even if would like nothing more than to not answer. But, one must do things that they don't like in this world sometimes, so yeah. Sorry, but studies come first, at least until I can get rid of them and find a good job.**

 **Enough talk! Reviews!**

 **Knightwolf1875: I don't fear you! I have the high ground!**

 **Wolfpackx92: thank you, and I must say I already have something in mind for his weapon. You don't get to live at the Rose-Xaio-Long household without a weapon.**

 **proiu: thanks. And things are still clouded in mystery, even after this reveal.**

 **TheGamingPie(x3): I'm answering your three reviews as one if you don't mind. Keeps things cleaner. 1** **st** **: well, I'm glad you like longer chapters, but making them shorter also helps me with summarizing info and improving as an author. 2** **nd** **: thank you, and don't worry. Bullies ain't worth shiet. 3** **rd** **: yes, the high ground master will teach them his ways, just don't ask him about politics, he's not brave enough for that.**

 **Runingstar bloodrage: twist and turn liek there's no tomorrow!**

 **HBgamer111: hmmm, an interesting concept…**

 **Guest: I won't spoil anything, but the discovery of another world** _ **does**_ **bring a lot of opportunities.**

* * *

 **Now, I said I would be starting the omake series this chapter. Well, here you have it. In honor of their latest game, I present to you:**

 **Omake: Mortal Kombat! (Part 1?)**

 **Fight intros:**

\- Summer vs Gore

*Summer appears from the left side of the arena, dashing in with her Semblance before extending her weapon to full scythe form and pointing it forward.*  
*An enormous black paw steps in, completely covered in black smoke. The smoke covers the entire screen and a flash of white light is seen before Gore steps out of the mist in human form and disperses it with a swing of his wings.*

Summer: "Isn't it a bit unfair for me? With all the armor and inhuman strength and all?"

Gore, shrugging, with mirth in his voice: "Sucks to be you, then."

Summer enters a combat stance with her weapon: "I'll beat you the old way _then_ , you jerk."

(-)

Summer: "Let's make a bet. I get to put a saddle on your back if I win."

Gore: "And if you lose, you have to wear a maid dress for a whole week. Bird-man told me it's very humiliating here on Remnant."

Summer: "Stupid Qrow… Fine then. You're on."

(-)

Gore: "You are lucky we haven't started to build my weapon yet."

Summer: "I know, but I just can't wait. It's going to be _so cool_!"

Gore, shaking his head and raising his fists: "Ruby really needs other influences in her life."

\- Midnight vs Gore

*Midnight, in her Nargacuga form, is seen jumping from tree to tree, before the camera is covered by one and she transforms behind it, landing on the ground with a roll and preparing her dual blades.*

Midnight: "You definitely seem to have improved since last time."

Gore: "Appreciate it, but you still have weapons and I don't."

Midnight, with a knowing smile: "Details, details."

(-)

Gore: "Next time, we are sparring with our natural forms."

Midnight: "Why, so you can heal your wounded ego after I beat you?"

Gore: "No, so I get to kick your ass twice."

(-)

Gore: "So… I'm helping you train, or are you helping me train?"

Midnight, raising an eyebrow: "Does it matter?"

Gore: "I mean, it does if it means I get to skip on Dalamadur's training."

\- Ozpin vs Daur

*Ozpin stands on the left side, with his hand on the top of his cane and a cup in the other, with Glynda at his side. He takes a last sip before giving the cup to Glynda, who rolls her eyes as she takes it and Ozpin smiles at her.*  
*The ground and camera tremble for a few moments before the floor shatters and Dalamadur comes out with a roar in snake form. When his legs hit the ground, a blinding white light covers the entire screen before it recedes, showing Daur as he adjusts his right gauntlet of the armor.*

Ozpin: "I'm glad you agreed to do this. It will be interesting to see how beings from other words fight."

Daur smiles and readies himself. "If you want to know how I truly fight, you should have asked to spar in my natural form."

Ozpin chuckles and raises his cane: "I'm eccentric, not suicidal."

(-)

Ozpin: "I'm sure that someone with your knowledge could teach a lot to the students in my academy."

Daur: "It would be an interesting experience, but what would I teach, exactly?"

Ozpin: "Well, Glynda is always saying how we need more _competent_ teachers. I'm sure we could fit you somewhere."

(-)

Daur: "We both hide many secrets, my friend."

Ozpin, with a saddened tone: "It's the burden of those who live long enough to know them."

Daur, nodding with a somber expression: "Indeed."

\- Sarah vs Icharias

*Sarah enters looking at her blade, as it shines in a silver color. With a heavy sigh, she unsheathes the shield from her back and enters a battle stance with them.*  
*A couple of sharpening noises are hear as the camera moves to a seated Icharias, who is sharping his greatsword in full armor. He looks up to his opponent, before sharpening it a couple more times and standing up, sheathing the weapon on his back and crossing his arms.*

Sarah: "I still don't understand why you work with the monsters that hate us."

Icharias: "The only one full of hate here is you."

Sarah: "If it helps me win, then so be it."

(-)

Sarah: "Why should I try to make amends with the one that killed my parents?"

Icharias: "Because, one day, you'll cross a line. And then _you_ will be the monster."

Sarah: "Enough Zen shit."

(-)

Icharias: "If you keep going this way, you'll only feed a cycle of revenge and anger."

Sarah, sighing: "I know, but I don't know if I can make peace."

Icharias: "Of course you can, but you must let us help."

\- Sarah vs Gore

Sarah: "This time, I'll make sure you die."

Gore: "Funny you say that, seeing as how our last fight ended up with you begging for your life."

Sarah: "Not today."

(-)

Gore: "You call me a monster. Before, I may have agreed with you."

Sarah: "And now?"

Gore: "I think you only need to look at mirror to find one."

(-)

Gore: "If an Elder as Lunastra could change for better, why can't you?"

Sarah: "Ugh, you're starting to sound like Icharias."

Gore, shrugging: "Maybe because he is right."

* * *

 **I'm willing to add more to this as the story progresses, with both RWBY characters and MK ones if you want me to in the future. Maybe I can even create a couple of fatalities for each if you ask for more. Hence the part 1 at the beginning.**

 **I hope you enjoyed!**

 **Have a great day!**


	22. Chapter 20: Searching for solutions

**A.N.: hello there! I'M BACK, BABY! And the exams are finally done! Fricking finallyyyyyyy! And with that out of the way, we can go back to schedule. Luckily, this small pause has given me a few ideas and refreshed me in terms of writing. You can't imagine how much I wanted to do this!**

 **But that is enough! Enjoy!**

* * *

 **Black Dragon, White Rose**

 **Chapter 20**

 **Searching for solutions**

 **/ Gore P.O.V. /**

As the days went by, I started growing worried at several issues. Don't get me wrong, I was starting to adapt more and more to the transformation and, while I still was a long way from talking like a human adult, I was progressing. I was even learning a bit of sing language to understand Neo, who had become much more open to the family after a while. And she was definitely looking better than when we found her. No, the problems that worried me were others.

And, surprisingly enough, none of them had anything to do with Lunastra.

The first one was Midnight and her hunter. I knew their mission could take a couple of weeks, but we were already at the third one and they hadn't returned. The idea of going back to my world alongside Summer to search for them came out a couple of times, but Dalamadur shut it down. He asked us to have a bit more faith on them and to be patient, but he admitted himself to also be preoccupied with their absence.

The other issue was my sister. While she has been showing improvement, I can tell that she still is in a lot of pain, though she hides it pretty well from the rest of them. Not from me, though. I can see the pained faces she makes when she thinks nobody is looking, the low grunts out of pain that she makes sometimes, even the small slips and mistakes she makes when we go out hunting for food or to help Summer with the small mission here or there.

She is especially careful around Neo, who she has more than definitely taken a liking to. Almost like another sister. It did surprise me her behavior, especially since she spoke her hate towards humans after the death of our brother. I suppose what happened to her can change anyone. But it still is an issue that cannot be postponed for much longer, else it becomes more troublesome.

Summer and I had been talking for a while and she agreed to help me when we had the chance. We were planning on doing it sometime today, but then a message from the definitely mad scientist in the base made us put the plan on hold. I didn't dislike the scientist per se, but he was _weird_ , and that's coming from someone that has had their world views shattered several times in the past month.

However, what truly made us answer the call with so much speed was that whatever was going on was related to my Virus.

So we went to the place as fast as we could, beating Ozpin there for once – I still don't know how he goes around without my feelers detecting him – and we were guided to where the scientist was. It turned out to be some sort of training facility or shooting range or something of sorts. I don't know, humans create many rooms for training when it could all be done in just one big room, in my opinion.

The scientist was at one end of the room, which was big enough to fit me several times. Seriously, this place was bigger than anything I had seen, taking away cities and such. He seemed to be examining some kind of… bullets, and I could sense-

Wait, I think I know where this is going and I don't know if I like it.

"Ah, greetings! Thank you for coming on such short notice! How's your day?" Summer was about to answer, but he cut her off, talking quicker than before. "Yes, yes, splendid. Let's get to the reason I called you here today. Ozpin can read the report later. This discovery can't wait!"

He moved to the table were the bullets were, as several of his hands examined them and took notes. "You see, during out experiments with the Virus provided by our friend here," he pointed at me, "we came across a way to use the Virus similarly to Dust, at least in terms of weaponry."

Summer arched an eyebrow. "You mean, as in bullets and such?"

The doctor nodded. "Oh, yes, and so much more!" He picked a bullet and walked to wards us. "You see, the Virus doesn't affect metals, as we discovered." _'I could have told you that myself, but sure, if it makes you happy, you discovered it. Let's go with that.'_ "But it can be… attached to them, for lack of a better word. It still proves much more effective to make a weapon of bullet made out of, well, _him_ , but we managed to do it this way, wasting much less resources, if a little bit more time consuming."

Summer took one of the bullets and made it so that we could both look at it. I could feel the Virus inside, so he was right on being able to do it like this. "So you basically weaponized the Virus. Isn't it dangerous? I mean, this thing eats Aura like Ruby eats cookies."

…

' _That's actually a very accurate description.'_ I told her.

She let out a small giggle. "I know, right?"

The doctor, not caring about our inner conversation, stepped forward. "Of course. That's why I called you here. You see, this few bullets right now are the only ones with the Virus inside. As much as I would like to experiment more with this discovery, my orders were to create a cure and nothing more, which I still intend to do, but I wanted your opinion on this. After all, the Virus is still yours."

I hummed in thought alongside Summer. "I mean, if Gore is okay with this, I have no say in the matter. But I don't think any of us would want this information to spread. It would mean the death of many huntsmen and huntresses." Her tone was deadly serious, and showed that she was not going to back down on this.

The doctor nodded. "That is obvious. I don't pretend to bring the downfall of the academies. One of them _is_ my financial backer, after all."

Summer nodded and they both turned to me for an answer. I had seen hunters do something similar before with their own weapons. The Virus in itself was not dangerous for me, but the element that the swords and weapons would carry from my scales and materials was indeed harmful. As the bullets were now, I don't think I would feel a scratch. The problem was if they used my sister's Virus.

In her state, her own Virus was partially out of her control, meaning that it changed a lot. While it could infect other monsters and humans, I don't know if it could create another one of us inside of them. But worst of all was that it turned harmful for her as well. I don't know why, but it was the main reason of her pain, and why weapons made out of it were more effective against us. If the hunter manages to withstand the Virus, it empowers the weapon, which makes it deadlier to any monster with the Virus in them.

I turned to Summer. _'I don't care if they make more, but I get why you wouldn't want them out in the open. These ones won't affect me, but they have it forbidden to use my sister's Virus for them. It is far more dangerous for anyone involved.'_

Summer nodded and explained it to the doctor, who rubbed his chin. "I see. Very well, I shall talk later with Ozpin and see who can be given this information, and the bullets themselves, of course. As for the cure, I must say, to my dislike, that it is advancing slowly. This Virus of yours is extremely resistant and eats almost anything that we use to stop it."

I looked at Summer and she smiled. "Well, don't worry. None of us is in any hurry, and we rather have a full cure than something that may or may not work."

Somehow, he seemed offended by that. "How dare you? I would never accept a work as important as this only to make it halfway! I have earned my PhD and by the Brother Gods I am going to put it to good use! Now, if you excuse me, I must return to my laboratory. Progress isn't going to make itself! For science!"

I watched as he sped off. _'He is weird.'_

"Yup." Was the only word that Summer made before we snickered at him. Summer then walked to the table and looked over the bullets. There were at least a couple dozen of them and Summer gave them a closer look. "I think these are for the same caliber as the ones my weapon uses. Though…"

She looked at them, lost in thought. I could feel that she didn't like the idea of these things existing, but I could see their potential, even if I understood why she didn't want to use them. _'Why don't we do something?'_ She looked at me. _'Take them and store them somewhere safe. If we don't end up needing them, it's better if we know where they are. But if something comes up and you have to use them, you'll have them close by.'_

She showed a small smile and then turned her look to the bullets. "I guess you are right, but…" She sighed. "I just wouldn't feel right using them. I am a huntress, I'm supposed to protect people, while even normal bullets can kill a person, these make them suffer, especially if they are huntsmen too. And I know that some of our enemies are human, but…" She groaned and brought her hands to her head, staying silent for a while. In the end, she nodded. "You're right. We'll take them and hope that we don't need them."

She didn't sound too convinced, but I rather see those things in good hands. On our way out, we encountered Ozpin and explained what we had been told. He agreed with us and advised us on being careful with handling them. We waved our goodbyes and went back home, no landing trap this time, thank the Ancients. Now this left us with the problem of my sister, but with Ruby and Yang returning soon from school, we decided to leave that for tonight.

At least, this was a problem we could handle, because, for now, Midnight and the hunter were on their own.

* * *

 **/ Midnight P.O.V. /**

Schrade was in complete ruins, that much was obvious. There was almost no building left on its feet except for the castle, and even then, the once mighty structure was just ruble over rock. Luckily, there were a few quarters left mostly untouched. Sure, they were heavily damaged because of the passage of time, but at least the rain didn't pour in. I truly didn't care too much, but it was better this than having no place to sleep under cover.

Not that I wasn't thankful to our… host, but my mind was not on the present right now.

According to Fatalis, Kirin had betrayed us. He was the one to guide the attackers to the village and managed to catch our friends off guard. Turns out that only a few of them were actual hunters, the majority were bandits and mercenaries the guild had paid to follow their command.

Fatalis had been suspecting of a traitor between the Seven for a while, making him go around and check on each of them. That's how he learnt about Daur's disappearance, and later on found Kirin dealing with the hunters from the Guild. The day of the attack, he managed to convince the village that we were returning and to prepare a feast to receive us. With their defenses lowered, it was extremely easy for the Guild to burn it all to the ground, even if our village tried to resist.

The silver lining was that they were all taken alive. For what reason, Fatalis didn't know, but it did raise out hopes just a bit.

When he asked for our story, we told them how Kirin had sent us out to find Dalamadur, probably just to leave the village defenseless, and about the other world, Remnant. The last part got his interest and we explained everything we knew, from how humanity also existed and how Daur, his new apprentice and his sister were alive, alongside a Lunastra. He let out a small chuckle upon hearing his friend had taken on an apprentice, but remained silent for the rest.

He left us in here to rest while he meditated about what to do. A couple of days had passed, and while I tried to cope with what had happened, the same question appeared in my mind over and over again: why? Why did he do it? Were they threatening him, or did he do it voluntarily? Did any of us truly matter to him? I just didn't know anymore. He had always been my guide, someone I could trust, and now _this_ happened.

It's this how betrayal felt? The sensation of being left alone, of having a dagger on your back. I still had Icharias, and I knew that the people from Remnant would welcome us but…

It wouldn't be the same.

Icharias entered through the door, or what was left of it, and looked at me. "C'mon. Fatalis wants to see us."

I nodded and got up from where I was seated. I knew wallowing in self-pity wouldn't help, but I still needed to clear my head and work through this. Having my life-long friend by my side helped, but it was still going to take a while before I got over all of this. But if I needed to put my problems aside to help my village, then so be it.

We walked for a while, making twists and turns until we reached a room on the top floor, part of the ceiling and the wall were destroyed, letting rain cover great part of it. Fatalis was standing just outside of the storm, looking outside almost as if it calmed him. He didn't turn to us immediately, just kept looking outside, even if the rain fell heavy enough to block our sight further than a few meters.

We stepped closer, and I spared a glance to the storm. It reminded me of the days when I was still a pup and I was completely and utterly scared from the lightning outside. I still remember hugging myself with a child that liked to visit and ply with me, both of us hoping that the other would protect us. Heh. Those same scared children grew and still stand by each other, even when all the odds were against them.

Icharias turned to me and gave him a smile. I couldn't see through his helmet but I know he was smiling too. A sign that we both will we okay.

Finally, he turned to us. "You're here. Good. I've been meditating about the information that you told me, and, by what you told me, Dalamadur is trapped in… Remnant, was it?"

I nodded. "Yes. He told us that only one Silver Eyed warrior wouldn't be able to transport him from world to world without losing their life in the process."

"Just as I feared. He would need at the very least two of them, and that is if they are lucky."

"Are you planning on bringing him back?" Asked Icharias.

"That is the question, isn't it?" Even in his human form, his voice was still booming and powerful, as if the storm outside was speaking. "I do not know if it is the right choice. With the traitor on the enemy's side, our secrets and the identity of the Seven are in danger, and if the Guild believes they have gotten rid of him, then we can turn that in our favor. But the choice to return is only his, I cannot, and will not, force him to take one path or another."

"Then what do we do?" I asked. "We can't just stand here with our arms crossed, waiting for the Guild to come after us."

"No, we can't." He answered. "That's why you both will return to Remnant and seek refuge there."

"What?!" I wasn't going to leave my village at the hands if the Guild! "What about our friends?! I'm not leaving them behind!"

"I wasn't finished." His tone made me gulp and almost take a step back. "While you are there, you will seek the aid of Dalamadur and the ones that stand by his side there. I will reach out for the rest of the Keepers and we will all remain together. When I finish gathering them, I will come to this other world and plan a way to fight off the Guild and its hunters."

Icharias spoke next. "How are you going to reach us? You'll need another Silver Eyed warrior, one that you can trust."

The Elder looked to the storm. "There is someone that will help me, you don't need to worry about me. I will also search for any clues that might guide us to where the Guild is keeping your village." He said to me before I could speak. "I understand your fear, child, but we must not act without information. If we attack the Guild without knowing where they are keeping your friends, we might find only corpses when we reach them."

Part of me wanted to say something, but I knew he was right. Without a way of knowing where they were, we couldn't go against the Guild. And having the help of Gore and the rest would be necessary if we were going into a full out war. I nodded and relented, agreeing to what he said.

A hand fell on my shoulder and I turned to Icharias. He nodded softly and I smiled, putting my own hand over his. "If you two stay together, you will be able to surpass any obstacle." Said, Fatalis, his tremendous voice bringing our focus back to him. "I can see your potential, and I know that you two will be able to complete the mission I assigned you and remain alive."

He looked back to the storm, which seemed to have receded a bit. "Let us not waste any more time."

With one final nod, Icharias and I were prepared to face whatever came at us.

* * *

 **/ Summer P.O.V. /**

Yes, finally! Oh, I just couldn't wait! "This is going to be awesome!" I said. "I finally get to help you with this! And don't you even _dare_ thinking about doing this without me!" I poked my finger to his chest with a glare.

Gore raised his hands defensively. _'Okay, okay. Calm down.'_ I relented and we kept walking towards the shed. _'It's just a weapon.'_

I reached for the keys on my pocket. " _'Just a weapon'_?! It's far more than that. A weapon is part of ourselves, like your claws or your Virus!" I opened the door. "But don't worry, you'll learn the true power of weapons in time." I turned to my house. "Isn't that right, Ruby?!"

A couple of seconds passed until two small hands opened the window of her room and my daughter's head popped out. "Eyup!"

Bringing a hand to my chin, I closed my eyes and nodded with a smile. "'Eyup' indeed."

Gore stared at me and sighed. _'And this is my closest friend…'_

"Hey!" I wasn't pouting at that. Not at all! "Hmph. Well, I'll let that pass for now. Let's get into the fun part already!" I entered and started picking the tools and materials I thought we would need for this.

' _Um…'_ I turned around. _'Aren't you taking this just a bit too far?'_

Well, I _was_ taking a few of my most valued materials, but his weapon was going to be downright _glorious_ if I had something to say about it. I peaked over the not-at-all-excessive mountain of things between me and Gore. "Nah. While Signal has its own forge, it's better if we use our own tools and metals. Trust me, I know about this."

He sighed again and shrugged. _'Sure. I still think a weapon is just a weapon…'_

Heretic! But no problem, I shall correct his ways. Albeit, his sour mood wasn't completely his fault. We had planned on helping his sister, something that even I knew took precedence over this, but by the time we returned, Gore noticed Neo playing with her and decided to postpone it for a couple of days.

His sister wasn't the only one afraid about what may happen if she attempts this 'Ascension' again, it would seem.

But I wasn't going to push it. When the time comes, I will help, though only when they are ready. I may be a close friend, but I won't intrude like that. In any case, it made me extremely happy that we were already working on his weapon! Daur had said that, while it would be a while until he could wield one properly, the sooner he began to use one, the better. And I couldn't agree more. And with his super strength and his extra sense, it opened up a whole new world of possibilities!

Just imagine it: a rocket launcher guided by his feelers with several payloads in one rocket, that divided into even _more_ small rockets when impacting!

Just thinking about me made me salivate!

But I'm getting ahead of myself. It is _his_ weapon, and while I would be guiding him, it would be him doing most of the work and choosing the design. Of course, he wasn't used to the process, from the sketching to the forging itself, but I could teach him all the basics and more. And with the materials I had stored, the weapon will be amazing and a raw Grimm killer!

Even if he chose a more simpler design, but if I could convince him to do something more… interesting, then even better!

"Okay!" I shouted to him, bringing his attention back to me. "Signal isn't far, and normally I would need some sort of transport to take all of this there, but with your help, we'll carry it in a single journey." Luckily for the both of us, I had everything very well organized in boxes. The bigger ones held the common materials and tools, while the smaller ones carried the more fragile or rarer materials. In any case, I made sure all the boxes could carry everything inside of them without breaking. "I need you to pick as many as you can and follow me! Just be careful you don't crush or drop anything."

"D…dOn't… woRRy." He grunted. _'I'm still getting used to this.'_ It was true that he was learning slowly, but while his voice sounded powerful, he still needed a better grasp of it. _'Unlike my voice, I already have my strength under control.'_

I snorted. "Yeah, after several broken vases." I picked the boxes and could tell that he was sending me and eyeless death stare, but I smile nonetheless. "C'mon, slowpoke, Daur is already waiting there for us." With his help, we might be able to combine the best parts of the weapons of both worlds, and maybe make him a new one, since he couldn't go back home for his old one.

Before we left the porch, Tai came out, with an apron on him that said 'Kiss the huntsman'. _'I would if I could. Rawr.'_ Before he spoke, Gore's head snapped towards me and I became a tomato when I realized he heard that. "Do you want me to help with that? I don't think the girls would mind waiting a few more minutes before they get lunch."

Two small heads popped from the window above. "We _do_ mind!"

Tai turned to them, pointing a spatula at them. "Get back to studying, young girls! Don't make me come up there!" That made them go back inside almost immediately before he turned to me. "Are you sure you don't need any help?"

I smiled at him. "Don't worry. I can handle this." My smile became a little wider. "And if not, I can always pass more boxes to Gore." The grunt of annoyance from said dragon made me snicker.

Tai smiled and gave me a peck before speaking. "Okay then. Have fun you two!"

"We will!" We walked away and made our way to Signal. The path that went from our house to the settlement separated at a certain point, with another road towards Signal. The school was only a few minutes from the settlement and heavily guarded, so there was no risk at this part of the island of encountering a Grimm. Like hell we were going to let our kids walk through here with Grimm going around.

So, with a bit of difficulty because of the boxes, we finally reached Signal. While not as elegant or majestic as Beacon, Signal was more on the side of functionality. While there were less Grimm here than on the mainland, the council of Vale decided to not risk it and put effectiveness over showing off. Nevertheless, it was still on the nice side and it worked, so nobody had any complains.

There on the doorway, Daur waited for us. He smiled upon seeing us and approached to help me with my boxes. "Allow me." I handed them without complain as we walked to the entrance. "I had asked to be let in, but without a huntsman license, they told me that I couldn't go in."

"It's for security measures." I explained. "We just can't let unknown people inside. It could be dangerous to the children inside, even if the older ones can cut almost any assaulter in half."

With a light chuckle, I let him in, holding the door, followed by Gore. "I understand."

I presented my own huntress card, letting the guard know that I was not only a certified badass- I mean, huntress, but also a parent of one of the students. I guided them to the forge, going by a couple of ongoing classes. I had the urge to talk with a few of Yang's teachers, just to see how she was doing, but that would have to wait.

The forge was one of the biggest parts of the entire building. The place itself was made so that two full classes could be inside at all times and not get in each others way. There were three bigger furnaces at the back, made to melt stronger metals or bigger pieces of material. Smaller ones were close to each work table, with at least a couple dozen of these tables all around. And while Beacon had a few people to take care of the forge there at all times, here the students were only allowed in with a professor with them, except for those at the higher years. In fact, a few students were inside, and gave us surprised looks, since it wasn't usual for adults other than teachers to be in here.

In any case, we took over a couple of tables and settled the boxes. "Okay!" I turned to both of my companions. "Before we start, we need to settle in. Daur, I need you to go to the storage and ask for a spot for our things. We are definitely not finishing today and it would be better if we didn't need to carry everything from home to here every day." He nodded and started walking away. "Just tell them I sent you and they'll give you a place." I turned back to Gore. "Meanwhile, you and I are going to unpack what we will need for today and check we have everything."

He nodded and we went to it. _'Hey, Summer.'_ I turned around, leaving what I had in my hands on the table. _'Thank you for this. I wouldn't be able to do this without your help.'_ I couldn't see his face behind that helmet, but the warm feeling coming from our link told me that he was truly grateful.

I smiled back. "No problem. If you couldn't tell, I'm actually enjoying this. And after all that we have been through, I wouldn't let you do this on your own." We both cherished having a friend and we were both helping each other through the tough times. It's funny if you think about it: a hunter of inhuman monsters and a transforming dragon from different worlds, allies at first due to circumstances, close friends later after getting to know each other. With all sorts of adventures and misadventures in between.

It was almost like a fairy tale of old. And I wouldn't change it for a thing.

Daur returned soon after, bringing a set of keys from one of the many safes in the storage room. The students weren't prone to stealing from others, but petty squabbles and pranks between them may put the private belongings in danger. Especially with the students having potentially explosive weapons and Semblances.

And so, we began work. Daur went decided to go on his own, saying that he had some experience in forging, so I was left with Gore, trying to make a sketch of his weapon. It was more a discussion of preferences: Gore wanted something simple, but I kept trying to convince him about putting a bit more _oomph_ into the weapon. We kept going back and forth, discussing advantages and disadvantages, but I had more knowledge in this – I mean, he only knew what he had heard and the weapons he had faced over the years – and I finally managed to convince him to allow me to do the sketch.

In the end, we didn't get much work done. We had agreed that the weapon needed a long range mode, just in case he needed to deal with an enemy without using his Virus, and that a secondary mode might be a good idea. Daur told us that those weapons that had it back on their world were much more versatile than those that didn't, and Gore relented. It wasn't that he didn't like having a weapon, but according to him, he didn't like to overcomplicate things.

We left everything in the safe and returned home. I knew the process of making a weapon was a slow and tedious one, especially if you wanted it to suit your fighting style, but I wasn't worried. Even Gore seemed in a better mood than when we started! That was already a win in my book, and as we settled to diner, I couldn't help but keep a small smile through all of it.

I was truly happy.

* * *

 **/ James Ironwood P.O.V. /**

"S-sir!" Called one of my officers on the bridge. "You have to see this…"

I sighed and pushed the button on the intercom. "Soldier, if this is another Goliath in this snowstorm, I assure you, there is no danger for us or Atlas at this-"

His voice cut me off. "N-no, sir. This is no Goliath. We…" He stopped fir a moment and I could hear the murmurs of the rest of the bridge, raising my suspicions. "We don't actually know what this is, sir."

Troubling. "I'll be there soon."

I filed the papers on my desk and moved outside of my office. The moment I stepped out, the two AK-130 at the sides of my door started following me immediately towards the bridge. While these androids were relatively old in model, the updates and improvement kept them up to date. There were some rumors about a new line of robots coming in the next years, but it was only speculation, and I had learnt to not believe anything without facts.

I hadn't reached the position of Commander by bluffing.

The walk to the bridge was calm, but a quick pace. The robots had no problem in following in my step, even as I saluted the soldiers that passed by me on our way. I reached the bridge shortly after, as the ship I had assigned was a destroyer: small, but packing a lot of firepower. What surprised me was to find the bridge in complete chaos: people going around, papers on the floor, the crew trying to speak over one another.

This would not stand.

"Enough!" I shouted, making everyone in the bridge stop and look at me. "What is the meaning of this? You are Atlesian soldiers, not some random businessmen on pay day."

They started to organize again, with several 'Yes, sir' coming from them. I waited, not for long, until one of the officers approached me. "S-sir! I was the one that called you here."

I turned to him with a raised eyebrow. "I hope you have an explanation for all of this madness, officer."

He nodded quickly and guided me to one of the consoles, the droids on tow. "We were scanning the storm as you ordered, trying to find the reason of its sudden appearance when this showed." He pointed at the screen, where an image was shown. It was captured through a heat signature camera, and according to the time, it was taken just before I was called down here.

And I understood why the bridge had erupted in chaos.

In the center of the image was the faint outline of a heat signature. It wasn't Grimm, as most of them didn't had a signature, but that wasn't what was worrying. The terrifying part was that it was _gigantic_ , bigger than any registered Grimm on Atlas. Not only that, but the outline was fainter than even that of a human, meaning that whatever this was, had a lower heat signature than a human, which was impressive even with the storm going on around us.

I turned to the officer and realized that everyone on the bridge was looking at me. I had to remain calm, though. "Where is the location of this picture?"

The soldier gulped and pointed through the front window of the bridge. "Close to the mountain range, sir." His tone showed his fear, and I couldn't fault him. "Right on front of us, sir."

I hummed and moved towards the glass. The storm outside didn't allow me to see more than a couple of feet, the rest being covered in white. The Council of Atlas had ordered us to investigate the sudden appearance of a snowstorm relatively close to the city of Atlas. While the kingdom was prepared for this kind of situation, there were no notices of storms close to the city, and this one was extremely harsh. Something like this wasn't unprecedented, but it was dangerous nonetheless, as there were some Grimm that could hide inside and attempt to reach inside the city.

But whatever that thing was, it proved that our fears were much worse than expected.

"Sir, what should we do?" The same officer asked and I turned around. All eyes on the bridge were on me, even the AKs seemed to be waiting for my answer. Some were afraid, others determined. But I only saw something all of them had in common: the will to protect the people of Atlas.

"What is the creature doing?" I asked, and the man turned to look at the cameras.

"It-it seems to be heading away from Atlas, sir." He looked up to me. "Towards the north."

"Those are good news, but we can't let something like this go around without vigilance. It might end up deciding Atlas is a tempting target, and we can't allow that." I turned to the communications officer. "Contact the council and tell them what we have discovered. As for the rest of you," the rest of the bridge tensed in anticipation, "we are facing an unknown, and while it has shown no sings of hostility for now, we can't risk this creature to roam around, endangering the people of Atlas. As soldiers, it is our duty to protect and safeguard those people, and we shall do it without showing fear. For those people we cherish, will you stand with me, loyal soldiers of Atlas?!"

The entirety of the bridge was filled with smiles and nods, several 'yeahs' all around. "Glory to Atlas!"

The bridge was filled with the same chant before I called them back to their posts. I sat on the main chair on the bridge and watched as the ship advanced with a safe distance between us and the creature.

As long as the beast may pose a danger to Atlas, we will keep close watch of it and try to discover what it was.

* * *

 **A.N.: first Irondic- Iron** _ **wood**_ **P.O.V. and new Elder on the loose. I kept it vague so you guys could guess who it was. Whoever guesses it gets one digital cookie… no, Ruby, it's not for you. No! Ruby, stop! Noooo! Get away from the cookieeee!**

 ***Moments later, hiding from the red reaper* Okay, think I'm safe now. Anyway, now that that's over, omake time! *Something bangs on the door* OH SHIT, SHE'S FOUND ME!**

 **Ruby: *breaks down door* GIVE ME THE COOKIEEEEEEE!**

 **AHHHHHHHHHHH!**

* * *

 **Omake: Monster Kombat (name by MegaDayDreamer), part 2.**

Gore vs Scorpion

Gore: Ugh, it just had to be fire.

Scorpion: If you can't handle some heat, you shouldn't have come to face me.

Gore: I never said I couldn't handle it.

(-)

Gore: So, you are the leader of some kind of… fire ninja clan?

Scorpion: You will show respect to the Shirai Ryu!

Gore, sighing: So after I deal with you I also have them. Great.

(-)

Scorpion: Are you one of Kronika's new puppets?

Gore, growling audibly: She's the one that brought us here, and I will _force her_ to send us back.

Scorpion: I'll take that as no.

{{-}}

Gore vs Sub-Zero

Gore: First the fire ninja, now you? This is like one of Ruby's awful movies.

Sub-Zero: I assure you, I am quite real.

Gore: To my utter annoyance, you are.

(-)

Gore: You wouldn't happen to have seen a small woman with Silver Eyes and wearing a white cape?

Sub-Zero, with an annoyed tone: And that has far too much energy? I believe I have, yes.

Gore: Then for your own good, tell me where she is.

(-)

Sub-Zero: If your Virus is as dangerous as you say it is, I can't let you roam around Earth-realm freely.

Gore: Suuuure. Because things can never be easy here, can they?

Sub-Zero: They have never been.

{{-}}

Gore vs Raiden

Gore: The idiot with the sunglasses told me you are some kind of god. Can you help us return to our world?

Raiden: I'm afraid only Kronika can send you back to your dimension. But I'm willing to help.

Gore: Still on step one, fan-fucking-tastic.

(-)

(Evil)Raiden: You are not the first dragon to threaten Earth-realm.

Gore: There were others like me?

(Evil)Raiden: And if you are anything like him, you will share Onaga's fate.

(-)

Gore: Well, your soul is definitely different.

Raiden: How so?

Gore: It's similar to a human's, and yet… it sparks.

{{-}}

Gore vs Shao Kahn

Gore: I heard of what you have done, and I have half a mind to rip your head off.

Shao Kahn: You speak like your friend, right before I killed her!

Gore: Nice try, but just for that, **I will make you suffer**.

(-)

Gore: I know you have the location of Kronika. Tell me where she is.

Shao Kahn: Unless you have something I want, you will get nothing from me!

Gore: How about your own life?

(-)

Shao Kahn: With your help, Outworld could conquer all the other realms.

Gore: I don't think I would like the earful Summer would give me if I did that.

Shao Kahn: Your doom, then.

{{-}}

Gore vs Kronika

Gore: So you are the one that brought us here..

Kronika: Help me achieve my vision, and I will allow you to return to your world.

Gore: How's about I force you to do it instead?

(-)

Kronika: I could stop those you love from dying. Even bring back those that you've lost.

Gore: Yeah, sure, because you can totally be trusted.

Kronika: So be it.

(-)

Kronika: You and your friends have been brought here to serve me.

Gore, laughing: Then you sure know nothing about us.

Kronika: You will regret your decision.

{{-}} {{-}}

Fatalities

 **Wrath of the Ruler of the Steppes:** Gore transforms into his dragon form, surprising his enemy before grabbing him with one of his wingarms. The opponent tries to resist, but to no avail. Gore draws them closer and follows by biting their head off and crushing it in his mouth. Finally, he grabs the body by the leg and smashes it down on the floor, splattering everything around in blood and innards.

 **Death by Virus:** As their opponent stands at a medium distance, Gore focuses his Virus and keeps throwing ball after ball at them, stopping only when there is a hole in the place were their chest and stomach used to be. Gore walks closer and charges one last ball of Virus right in front of their face while keeping the enemy on their feet. The power and the closeness of the attack makes the head blow into bits, right to the camera standing behind the opponent.

* * *

 **This omake was focused on Gore, as you could see. The next MK one will be on Sum.**

 **Reviews! (Sorry if I skip some reviews, I think they got mixed)**

 **Knightwolf1875: I'm more of a Decepticon kind of guy (I mean, Soundwave from TF: Prime is the most absolute badass ever, alongside Shockwave), but I do like Grimlock. And don't worry, Midnight is returning back to Remnant, while still trying to deal with the betrayal of Kirin.**

 **RabidArmenian: wait is over! That name has more depth to her than you imagine, you'll see in the future. Not Elder Civil War, but also not far from it, you'll see. And you shall have more!**

 **littleboyblack17: I'm glad you like it, as I intend to keep posting.**

 **Neb: if you keep trying to put a Chameleos with Neo, I might do so. Don't test me! And I see Nergigante as some sort of cannibal for them, which is just gross, and even morally debatable between Elders.**

 **MegaDayDreamer(wow, long review): I won't spoil it. Lionheart will remain an unknown. Oh yes, Luna and Yang are quite close in that regard. And the form is another spoiler I won't make, though I like the name of 'Monster Kombat'. Kudos to you for the name! And I'm glad that you like them. Yeah, that was what I was going for with him. You know what, you win: that's an awesome intro. When I use him in the omake, I will use it, and of course, all credit of it goes to you.**

 **What if: that… that may be too dangerous for the two worlds. Especially when they are on a sugar rush. Oh god, the Flash would have some competitors. One very speedi boi and one rose petal speedi gurl.**

 **Runningstar bloodrage: oh, nergi vs Gore would/will be quite the fight.**

 **ambifin10: I will see as the story progresses, though I make no promises.**

 **raigalcc: yup, I just love that film.**

 **bigmeaty69: already did, bruh.**

 **MH4life: I might or might not do it, probably leaning on the yes. But you shall all see as time passes.**

 **By the way, since I'm feeling nice today, I'll give you a small clue on the next omake. That doesn't mean I won't make any more MK omakes, but this idea came while playing the game and I found it hilarious.**

 **Here it goes: PATA-PON-DON-CHAKA!**

 **I hope you enjoyed! Have a great day!**


	23. Chapter 21: (Un)Welcomed surprises

**A.N.: hello there! New chapter and we are back where we left it… mostly. Don't worry, things are starting to move forward, for better or worse for our heroes.**

 **Enjoy!**

* * *

 **Black Dragon, White Rose**

 **Chapter 21**

 **(Un)Welcomed surprises**

 **/ ? P.O.V. /**

"Grab my hand, quickly!" I told my friend, as I tried to hold on myself onto the closest rock. Not that finding one was difficult, the problems were others.

One of them was human, the other, not so much.

Alma grabbed my hand and I pulled her up, trying not to fall down myself from all the 'ground' shaking. In the end, the movement made me fall on my back with Alma to my side, but there was no time to waste and we both got up, keeping balance as best as we could. "Watch out!" I yelled, and pushed the both of us away from a falling ball of lava and fire. And to think I just wanted to do a bit of research.

This was pure and utter chaos!

She thanked me as we both got up and looked around. "Where the hell have those assholes gone off to now?!" I yelled over the sound of shaking rock and giant steps from the Elder Dragon we were on.

Alma looked at me. "One disappeared with the Nergigante in that weird light, and I think I saw the other trying to reach the face!"

I looked upwards and, true enough, the other asshole from the Guild was making his way towards the head. "We can't let him reach it! I don't know how the Elder Dragon will react if it gets pissed!" I stopped for a moment, holding to a rock as everything shook again. "Well, more than it already is!"

Alma nodded and we waited for the ground to stabilize for a moment before making a run for it. "You go high, I'll go low!" She shouted and I nodded, readying my slinger.

I waited until I could see a place where to latch the string and fired, climbing up as quickly as I could. Looking down, I watched as Alma dodged the balls of fire as best as she could without falling, and moving towards the face. I continued climbing, but before I could reach the top, the hunter from the Guild passed right through were my slinger was attached, and noticing the cord, he looked down at me.

I glared back. "Stop this, you idiot! You can't take on this Elder alone! It has broken the barrier and we don't have reinforcements! We have to regroup!"

I couldn't see his face behind the helmet, but he was extremely calm for the situation that we were in. A couple of seconds passed before he turned away and continued in his way. What was wrong with these guys?! First, the Guild sends them to keep watch over us and now they have a death wish?! And don't get me started on their absolute lack of teamwork!

I paused my internal berating and kept climbing. As I reached the top, I had to stop to keep myself from falling and to gain some sense of balance. I was way over wanting to vomit and I couldn't allow myself to stop now, especially with such an idiot trying to do… whatever he was trying to do! Walking forward as fast as I could, I watched as he moved closer to the head.

Luckily, Alma had been faster than me and now she stood in his way. "That is enough! You are going to get us all killed!" She shouted while blocking the way to the head. The hunter looked at her, then behind him, towards me. "You have nowhere to go! Just give up and let's go back to Astera!"

He glanced back at Alma and before we could say anything else, he growled under his breath and drew his longsword, pointing it at Alma and making both of our eyes grow wide. "You are standing in the way of the Guild! Move or be arrested for insubordination, hunter!"

Insubordination?! What in all the Ancients was he saying?! We didn't know where the Elder was going, and for all that we knew, it could swim down into a river of lava and kill us all, and I wasn't going to allow that, at least not while Alma and I were still on it. If he wanted to die, then he could be my guest, but drawing a weapon towards her and threatening us drew the line.

Still, Alma didn't back down, but she didn't pull her weapon out either. "Aiming a weapon at another human is forbidden by the Guild itself, with immediate removal of the hunter's license!" Just as she finished, another tremor made us all stumble, but we all managed to stand on our feet. "It will be the end of your career if you don't stand down NOW!"

We all stood in silence for a few moments, until the hunter reacted. "Tch." With a swift motion, he charged at Alma, swinging his sword down vertically. Alma dodged to the side, almost to the edge of the surface, but she had moved from his way, and he took the chance to run towards the head. We followed tight behind, and through the sound of the chaos around us, I could hear him chant something, but I couldn't discern what it was.

"Mabel, look, his weapon!" Alma was right. His weapon was shining, but I didn't get to see anything else as he jumped down to the head of the Elder.

And by how the Zorah Magdaros roared, it had clearly noticed him.

We followed right after, and I watched as he plunged his sword down, going through the rock like flesh that this Elder had as if it was paper, with the sword shinning even brighter than before. The Elder Dragon clearly noticed that, as it roared and shook. I wanted to pull out my bow and shoot at the dumbass, but with the Zorah shaking like this, it would be impossible to hit. I could still grab my hammer, but I wouldn't reach him in time to stop whatever he was doing. It looked like some sort of ritual, but I just couldn't tell.

I was still very proud that I had invented a system to carry two weapons instead of only one, even if I couldn't use neither right now. So that left us with one option only.

I charged at him, trying to bash him away from the weapon and I could hear Alma running to do the same behind me. I managed to grab onto him and almost made him lose his grasp of the sword, but he managed to remain still. A second later Alma reached us and tried to pull the sword out from the Elder Dragon, but it was too late.

Whatever he was chanting finished and a blinding white light enveloped everything in our vision. The last things I could hear over the roar of the Elder Dragon were Alma calling for me and the pained scream of the hunter from the Guild, alongside a burning sensation coming from his armor.

And then all was silent.

* * *

 **/ James Ironwood P.O.V. /**

We had been following the enormous creature for the last day and a half. It moved slowly, not caring about our destroyer, the _Tide of Steel_ , circling close to it. The storm hadn't wavered for a single moment and it was interfering with our scanners. For the time we had been following the creature, our scanners had been picking a flying signal around us. At first we thought it was some Grimm waiting to drop on us from the storm, but no Grimm waits that long to attack a ship, especially on this environment.

Luckily, we had been able to catch a glimpse of the creature through one of the few still unfrozen cameras. At first glance, it could be confused for a small mountain in the snow, but looking closer, we noticed what appeared to scales and a tail. Another picture showed its face, and we could all tell that, whatever this was, it was no Grimm. The chin seemed to be shaped almost like a shovel, and a row of sharp teeth could be seen below two very small eyes. It didn't have any of the Grimm-like bone plates or the black fur, with its eyes being yellow with pupils instead of fully red.

But, even if it had been acting non-hostile, we couldn't let something of this size walk around close to Atlas.

"Sir." One of the officers called my attention. "We are picking on that signal again."

I resisted the urge to sigh. It was the third time in the last couple of hours. "Unless it moves close, ignore it. It's most probably a malfunction of the scanners."

"But sir, this one is steady. It's not fading or blinking in or out." The man gulped. "And is coming closer, sir. _Really_ fast."

Whatever it was, it had decided now was the time to attack. "How much longer until it reaches us?!"

The man looked down to the scanner. "We only have a few seconds before-!" I heard a sound coming from the radar and the officer sighed. "It seems to have faded again, sir. Do you want us to-?"

He didn't get to finish his words as the entire ship was shaken by the impact of _something_. I was about to give orders when I looked up towards the glass of the bridge. The entire place went silent. In front of us, on the hull of the ship, was what could only be described as a _literal dragon_. Four legs, two wings and a tail, with two horns on its head and a metallic shine through out its entire body.

The beast looked at us until its eyes landed on mine. And even through the storm and the glass between us, I could almost see myself reflected on those pure blue eyes. And through that stare only, could tell that this creature was _clever_. Clever enough to fly around us for more than a day, to study our ship, to keep away from our sight and to use the storm as camouflage. And it had decided that now it was the time to strike.

"By the Brother Gods…" I didn't know who uttered those words, maybe even myself, but I couldn't agree more.

And as if to break through the silence, the dragon roared with a terrifying sound. And almost as if in command, the snowstorm dissipated around the ship for a moment. With that the creature turned around and jumped off the hull of the ship, extending his wings and flying through the storm as if it was nothing to him.

No words were spoken for a few seconds, until I finally managed to recover myself. "All hands to battle stations! This new creature is not friendly and seems to be the cause of the storm!" My words broke the stupor that and taken over the bridge and everyone started moving at a frantic pace. "Prepare the turrets and have the interceptors on stand by! We can't send them out until we lure it out of the storm or stop the creature from controlling it!"

One of the officers stopped giving orders and turned to me. "And how are we going to manage that, sir?"

The ship rocked for a second as it was hit by something, though clearly much smaller than the dragon. Looking through one of the cameras, I could see it throw some sort of wind-based projectile at the hull, denting it. "I don't know, but our best bet is to try and leave the storm. With some luck, it will follow us into a space where we have the advantage. Pilot, change our course to north-east, away from Atlas and to the closest end of the storm!"

"Sir!" Another officer called. "The other creature, the bigger one, seems to be also on the move! What do we do about it?"

Damn it. "Where is it heading?"

"It changed direction. It's going south-west, sir."

Double damn it. The complete opposite from where we were going. Away from Atlas, but from us too. But why? Was it the new creature? The land based one surpassed the new one in size several times, then again, it's not only size that counts. "Forget about it for now. Unless it heads towards Atlas, there shouldn't be any problems with it. We will contact the Council once we are out of the storm and warn them about what we have found. Meanwhile, I want all batteries aimed at the creature attacking the ship! Anti-air, heavy cannons, everything! Let's see how hard those scales are!"

* * *

 **/ Gore P.O.V. /**

"[I know you don't want to do this, but we have no other option.]" I told my sister. "[Or do you want to remain like this for the rest of your life?]"

She looked away and I sighed. I had been trying to convince her for a while now, but she wasn't relenting, even if she knew it was the only way to get her out of this state. But she was afraid of the pain, or of ending up even worse than now if she failed again. "[Ugh, for the Ancients sake, just listen to him. You've at this for the last half an hour and I can't sleep like this.]" I turned to Luna – she didn't like it when she heard her nickname from Summer, so I decided to use it _every time_ I had the chance – and she laid back down. We had discovered that she preferred spending the day sleeping if she had nothing to do, but hey, that meant we didn't have to deal with her as much.

Nevertheless, I growled back at her. "[Not helping!]"

Turning back to my sister, I spoke. "[Please, you can't be like this for the rest of your life. I know it scares you,]" she winced at those words, "[but do you really want to live your life in pain, and having to hide it from others every time?]"

She remained silent for a few moments, looking down. I knew my sister, and even in this state, she still had to swallow her pride and admit she had been scared of doing it until now. She knew I wouldn't hold it against her, but she always found it difficult admitting she was wrong. That's why I was so surprised when she bonded with Neo and the rest so easily, after saying she hated humans. Not that I was complaining, but it did surprise me, and I still had no answer as to why.

In the end, she sighed before nodding back at me. I smiled. "[Good. Now we must find a place to-]"

' _Mr. Magala, may I have a moment of your time?'_ I was surprised from the voice on my head for a moment before I realized Ozpin was making use of my Semblance. _'I hope I'm not interrupting anything.'_

' _You… are, but I guess I can listen to what you have to say.'_ My sister wasn't going anywhere and I don't think she would back down. Not after gathering the strength to say yes.

' _My apologies then, but I think this may be of interest to you and Daur. I have received a report of a group of three people entering Vale, one strange Faunus and two humans with weapons, a few moments ago. The guards thought they were huntsmen, but after they showed no ID, they managed to incapacitate the guards and enter the city. They were pursued, but they escaped after a short chase. Luckily for us, they seem to have been spotted on a bar, drinking loudly.'_ I already had an idea of where this was going, and it couldn't have been more inconvenient at the time. _'I believe these three come from your world and that one of them may even be one of the Seven Daur spoke to me about.'_

Great. Just… great. _'Can't Dalamadur handle this for now? I have something… important to do.'_

' _While I do apologize for interrupting, I believe Daur would appreciate the assistance in case these new guest turned out to be hostile.'_ And if one of them had a weapon made from Life Essence, it could be _actually_ dangerous. Damn it. _'Please. I already contacted Summer and she has agreed to help. I'm sure that with your assistance, this problem will be solved in a shortly manner.'_

I sighed and my sister looked at me weirdly. _'Fine. I'll help.'_

' _Thank you, Mr. Magala. I will try to inform you of these matters sooner next time, but the report just reached my table, and when I told Daur about it, he muttered something and left without explanation. Believe he is already waiting for you there.'_

I turned to my sister. "[It seems we will have to wait.]" I heard a groan from the other side of the clearing and 'glared' at Luna. "[Instead of complaining so much, why don't you help her find a place away from humans and Grimm for her to Ascend. This way, you'll have something to do instead of just lying in the sun all day.]"

She huffed but stood up. "[Fine.]"

Focusing back on my sister, she was looking at me with a look that said 'really, with her?'. "[I know, I know. But it might be too dangerous for humans to be around and she can keep an eye on you until I return and help you. Don't worry, I will be by your side from the moment we begin 'till the very end, alright?]"

That seemed to calm her down and she nodded, just as Summer appeared from the door to the clearing, ready to go. "Gore we need to-"

' _Yes, I know. Ozpin already told me.'_

She stared at me for a few seconds, blinking. "Wait how did you- ohhh, that's right, your Semblance." She stood there in silence for a couple of seconds before coughing. "Umm, well, then I guess I don't need to tell you where we are going. I'll be, umm, waiting at the entrance."

I waited for her to leave and then turned to my sister. "[You should be preparing to leave to. But before any of us leave, I need to have a few words with our resident fire Elder.]"

She nodded and I walked towards Luna, who was stretching herself. She looked at me. "[What do you want n-?]"

I didn't let her finish as I stepped closer to her face with an angered look and made her step back to the tree line, where she ended up with her back on a tree and a scared look on her face. "[Listen well because I'm only going to say this once, clear?]" She nodded quickly. "[I'm trusting you to keep my sister safe until I return, which shouldn't be too long. In any case, if I return and _**one single scale**_ is out of place on her body, we will test the supposedly natural resistance Elders have to my Virus _over and over again_ until I make you wish I had killed you the first time we met.]" I could hear her gulp loudly. Maybe I went a bit overboard. I stepped backwards and let her some space. "[Please, I already lost my brother, I don't want to lose her too.]"

Luna seemed to relax after that, even if not completely. "[You… really care about her, don't you?]"

"[How could I not? She's my only family left.]" When I said those words I could hear her mutter something about family, but I couldn't get it. "[Did you say something?]

She looked at me. "[I said I'll keep her safe.]"

I nodded. "[Thanks. I promise it won't be long. Just… try not to rile her up,]" I smiled, "[or to let her rile _you_ up.]"

She sputtered, offended at my comment, but before she could answer I turned around and flew over the house, ignoring her shouts and threats with a small smile before landing in front of Summer. _'I'm ready. Let's go.'_

She nodded and hopped on my back. "You know, I still think you need a saddle on your back for when we do thiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiissssssssssss-!"

' _Sorry, couldn't hear you over the wind. Where you saying something?'_

* * *

We landed away from the city and entered through one of the gates on the walls. Summer used her ID card and I used mine, provided by Ozpin. I still didn't understand how they worked, but they let us in without out problem so I didn't care. Though one of the guards said something about 'huntsmen and their weird styles'. Well, it's not my problem your armor looks so boring. I at least look cool.

Though I don't think everyone thinks the same as Ruby. Meh, not like I care.

Summer guided me through the streets and I can say I was impressed… and disappointed at the same time. The further we went in the city, the more magnificent and grand the buildings seemed to be, with several of them taller than any of the houses back on my world. It was truly breathtaking, with so much people going around that it would make Gildegaran look like a small village in the middle of nowhere.

But at the same time, the closest part of the walls was full of dirt and the city almost seemed darker there, as if all the trash from the rest of the city ended up there. Vagabonds, homeless people, and most of them were Faunus. And through the small time we spend there, I could see Summer had a saddened expression through all of it. Disappointing, honestly: surrounded on all sides and yet they find tie to discriminate and antagonize their allies because they have a few extra parts.

Though I could notice a few Faunus with a strange symbol on their clothes helping the rest as best as they could. They were called the White Fang, Summer explained. And after hearing what they did, I couldn't help but respect them a tad bit. It was an honorable goal, if a bit… naïve.

I also found out that Faunus tend to be… scared of me. Almost like a danger sense. Whenever one approached us, his or her eyes seemed to widen and step aside, making sure I wasn't out of sight until I was far away. Interesting. Maybe it was their animal part telling them I am a predator or something of sorts.

And it wasn't wrong.

In any case, we reached the bar after a bit of walking, and I could see Dalamadur waiting for us with his arms crossed. He seemed to be thinking, as he didn't notice us approaching. He didn't pay attention to some people throwing looks at him and his tail either. "Um, Daur?"

He lifted his head and looked at us. "Ah, you are here. Good. I believe I know which of the Seven has been brought here. The good news is that I don't think he will be hostile. The bad news, well…" I could hear a lot of sound coming from inside the bar as he spoke.

At the same time, the door to the bar opened and a human was thrown outside, landing face first on the floor. Instead of getting up, he began mumbling something incomprehensible and even I could tell he was completely drunk. Summer even poked him with the tip of her feet before turning to Dalamadur. "Uhhh…"

The snake Elder sighed heavily. "The bad news is that he enjoys human beverage far too much."

We made to step in, and if the sound outside was loud, inside it was annoying, even for me. All around were tables full of people, mostly men, the floor was dirtied from food and drinks and most of the people inside were either completely drunk or in process of becoming drunk. And it wasn't hard to notice that many humans were gathered around one single table.

The three of us could hear as they chanted something that I recognized almost immediately. It was one the hunters sang when they _thought_ they were alone during a hunt.

" _Hear the monster roaring, ho, ho, ho._

 _We will send them running, yo, ho, ho._

 _And when the big ones show, ho, ho, ho._

 _We will make them bow, yo, ho, ho._

 _For we are the hunters, ho, ho, ho._

 _And we will take their antlers, YO, HO, HO!"_

"What are they singing?" Asked Summer as we approached as they finished in laughter.

' _A song from our world that the hunters sing during hunts to keep themselves motivated.'_ I answered. _'Which means that either this Elder knows the song, or there is a hunter with them.'_

Summer looked at me quizzically. "Aren't hunters and Elders supposed to be… mortal enemies or something?"

Daur sighed. "Honestly, I wouldn't be surprised if the Keeper we are dealing with had made friends with one of them."

We walked closer and I could discern the three most prominent people in the table. One was the strange Faunus Ozpin told me about, the Keeper. He was a man, taller and bigger than the rest of the people around him, with a long, black beard and a bald head. He wore what seemed to be a heavy, black coat with small red trimmings through it that almost seemed like they were flowing down. I could see a small tail behind moving behind him, though nobody seemed to mind. He was laughing loudly and his beard was flowing with the beer that he had failed to drink.

By his sides were to women that I immediately recognized as hunters. The one on his left had silver hair, not unlike Ozpin's, tied in a ponytail and her left eye had a scar over it. I didn't know the name of the armor pieces she was wearing, but I recognized them as the ones some hunters used. She was drinking and laughing just as loudly as the Elder beside her, even having one hand around his neck as they sang.

The other one had short brown hair and seemed to be the only one not drinking. She also wore an armor that marked her as a hunter, but I had never seen that kind of armor before. She was keeping an eye on anyone that wandered close to the other girl, especially any men, and was the only one to realize our presence, as her eyes landed on us and went wide.

Before she could say anything, Daur cleared his throat on an attempt to bring the attention of the Elder to him. "Ehem." But the voices were too loud and the Elder seemed to be none the wiser to our presence.

And by this point, Daur lost his patience.

"EHEM!" Through a small space between two of the humans in the table, he slammed his tail on it, with enough strength to crack it and lodge his tail spikes on it. The place went silent with that, as he ripped his tail off the table, making the people around step back as the splinters flew away. Finally, he pulled his tail back slowly, making a rattling sound as it moved.

Summer leaned closer to me and whispered. "Do you all have a knack for epic entrances and making ominous first impressions?"

I shrugged. Elders tended to act this way most of the time, so making a good entrance was almost imbedded in our bodies.

Silence reigned for a few seconds as both Dalamadur and the other Elder seemed to have a staring contest. He let go of the hunter by his side as he rose and, while almost, if not as tall as Daur, he was far wider and his coat – which now that I could see it more clearly, seemed to have black rocks coating the inside – made him even more imposing. He walked towards us and stopped right in front of Dalamadur.

For a moment, I thought they may start fighting and tear the entire place to the ground. But suddenly, the enormous man smiled widely and I could see Dalamadur's eyes widen in panic for just a second before the other Elder hugged him with a boisterous laugh. He even managed to lift him of his feet without a hassle. "Daur, old friend! Ha ha!"

After that, he dropped him down but didn't let go, turning the snake Elder towards the table he had been sitting on and kept him close with one arm over his back. "Give my friend a warm welcoming! Drinks on me!" Everyone cheered at that and the chatter returned to the place while Summer and I held a chuckle over the discomfort of our friend. "And you! You!" He laughed again and hugged him once more. "We all thought you were gone! But then I find myself here, accompanied by two young lasses and find out what you had been hiding from the rest of us! Ha!" He let Dalamadur go and patted him on the back. "Had I know this place existed I may have allowed myself to be thrown in here on the first turn!"

My friend couldn't look more uncomfortable if he tried, and Summer and I were holding each other as to not fall down from the laughter. What surprised us was that Dalamaur _laughed_ , first slowly, then to something louder. He landed a hand on the other Elder's shoulder. "It is good to see you too, Daros. How long has it been? 10? 20 years?"

The now named Daros laughed again. "Aye! But now we're here! Come. Let's catch up over some drinks."

"I rather we do it in a place with some more… privacy." He said, pointing at Summer and me. Daros finally seemed to realize we existed, as Summer gave a small smile and a wave.

The Elder chuckled. "Alright, we'll have it your way." He turned to the table. "Young lasses, we're moving! 'suppose you want to come?"

The one that remained sober nodded and basically dragged her partner to a far off table where we had settled. As the wobbly girl sat, she squinted her eyes at me. "You – hic! – you look tre- trrit- terrify- scary! Wooo~!" She turned to her friend as I tried to discern what she was talking about. "Al –hic- Alma! There's this tall, dark and- and SCARY guy – hic! – over there! What do we do?!"

The other girl, Alma, sighed. "Mabel, please, control yourself." That and the stern look made the other woman, Mabel quiet down and look at her drink. "Sorry about that. She tends to be… straightforward when she is, well…"

"Drunk?" Finished Summer, and the girl nodded. "Yeah, my teammate is the same. You don't know how many times I've had to drag him out of a bar because he had a bit too much to drink."

"I can relate." Said the woman, rubbing the back of her friend as she wobbled a bit to the sides.

"Well, aren't you going to introduce us to your friends over here?" Said the bald Elder. "They look like the interesting pair, I tell ya."

Daur smiled and nodded. "They are. Daros, these are my apprentice, Gore," he pointed at me and I nodded, making the Elder hum in acknowledgement, "and Summer Rose, a human from this world and close friend of my apprentice and mine. A Silver Eyed warrior too." He turned to us and pointed towards his friend. "This is my old friend and one of the Keepers, Zorah Magadaros, or Daros, as we call him."

Summer looked mortified at the last statement about her. "You shouldn't-!"

Daros chuckled. "I had already noticed, lass. And I'm fully aware of what you are. I was brought here by one of your kind, after all." He didn't say that last part with any anger or resentment, but I could feel Summer become a bit guilt ridden at those words.

"Oh, right…" She looked down. "I'm sorry you ended up here because-"

"Nah, lass. Not your fault. You weren't the one that brought me here, and I don't blame you, so don't feel bad for it." He smiled. "In fact, I kinda like it in here. Food, drinks, and a bunch of wildlife ready to be beaten up! It's like a small piece of heaven right in here!"

"Well, that's one way to look at it…" Muttered Summer.

Dalamadur shook his head. "I'm afraid there's more to it than just that, old friend. We really have a lot to talk about." His gaze turned to the other two members of the table, as the drunk one seemed to be slurring something unintelligible to the other. "Like how you are beside two hunters, _in your human form_ , in the middle of one of the most populated places of this world." The glare that he sent towards the hunters was nothing short of deadly, and the one that could actually notice it gulped.

That caught the attention of the other one, who tried to return the glare at Daur, but turned out as well as you can imagine from a drunk person. "Hey you! You don't – hic! – get to look at my- my frrr- my frue- my GIRL like that!" That made said girl, Alma, blush quite heavily and made me wonder even more what kind of relationship these two had. "I swear I'll – hic! – I'll put an arrow through your fucking di-!"

"OOOOOKAY, that's enough drink for you today!" She interrupted her friend and took the drink away from her, earning a whine from the girl.

"Naooooww, give it baaack!" The attempts she made to get her drink were honestly pathetic. It looked more like a child than a hunter. Even Ruby had more coordination than her.

And she was supposed to be a professional huntress? Are they sure they didn't gave the title to the wrong person?

The Elder chuckled at the exchange. "I assure you my friend, that they are trustworthy." In an instant, his demeanor made a complete turn and his voice seemed far more serious than I thought he could ever be. "But there is another that came here before me. It's important that we find him and stop him."

"A hunter?" Asked Dalamadur.

The Elder shook his head. "A Nergigante." That word made even Dalamadur pause for a second. "Are there any other Elders in this world that you know off? Weakened ones take priority."

Daur seemed in thought for a moment, as Summer and I were utterly lost. "Well, there's this Luanstra and-" He turned to me. "Your sister!" He turned back to the other Elder. "She failed her Ascension! She's the perfect target."

Bothe Elders turned to me. "Go, lad! Find your sister, she's in danger!"

That's all I needed to bolt out of the place, with Summer on tow while the rest lagged behind. I don't know what they were talking about, but my sister is _no one's_ target.

* * *

 **/ Luna P.O.V. /**

This was sooooo boring. And awkward. Don't forget the awkward part. Why did I even agree to this? I could just be laying at the sun behind the house of those little humans without a problem in the world. But nooooo, I just had to agree to stay with the sister of that… that idiot! Tch. Treating me like some sort of lowly bodyguard to do as he says!

Although he does have a knack for threatening others.

Whatever the case, we had been flying for a short while, looking for a place to perform whatever this Ascension thing was. And even if I didn't like his sister, I made a promise, and an Elder never goes back on their promise, even if they have to bear the hate filled glares of another Elder while they flew. That doesn't mean I can't return them, though.

Even if the flight to the main mass of land only took a few minutes, it seemed like hours simply because of the damned silence. Don't get me wrong, I appreciate the moments of privacy and silence as much as the next Elder, but not being acknowledged by her was grating on my nerves! And I knew she was doing to get a reaction out of me, which even pissed me more! Who does she think she is?!

Psh. At the very least we found a place on where to land, away from that big human city. And with no humans around, we just had to deal with a few of those weaklings the humans of this world are so scared of. Grimm, I think they were called. Bah, it was like squashing bugs without effort.

And so, there we were, standing at the opposite sides of the clearing, away from each other but not taking our eyes off from the other. But I grew tired of this. What was taking that eyeless idiot so long? I huffed and looked away, while she kept her eyes on my back. I could feel her stare trying to burn a hole on my back.

Finally, she seemed to snap out of it and walk towards me. I turned my head lazily to her, not even bothering to stand. "[What do you want? Have you grown tired of just looking at me from afar and now you want to see my beauty up close?]"

She didn't react to my words, just stood there for a couple of seconds before speaking. And she surprised me, as she spoke much clearer than I thought she could. "[I… am not as… weak as… my brother thinks.]" She was straining herself, but she didn't seem to care. "[Before… this…]" she looked at herself, "[I thought… _I_ was the one… taking care of… him. Without our… brother… I thought I… was the strongest, and… for a while… I was.]"

I didn't know where she was trying to get with this. I stood up. "[Whatever you have to say, say it directly.]"

She growled at me, but continued. "[He grew… in intelligence… and strength. He learnt… I didn't. I… stagnated.]" She looked at herself again. "[That is why… I tried to… Ascend. To keep… protecting him… but I failed. And I… ended up being… the one who… needed protection.]" She growled loudly. "[I hate it! I feel… useless! But I… don't hate him… for protecting me. Just… myself.]"

"[Touching.]" Not really. "[Again, where are you going with this?]"

She sighed and looked at me with her single eye. "[I'm afraid… but I am doing… this so that he… doesn't need to worry… about me. We need… each other… and I _refuse_ … to be just some… load he needs to… carry.]" She stepped closer to my face and growled. "[So when… I'm finished with… this, I won't allow… anyone to hurt us… not even you.]"

I just sighed. "[Really? Another threat? You and your brother are really alike. But consider this: if I wanted to harm any of you, wouldn't I have tried already?]" Now it was my time to talk. "[I know you don't like me because I tried to kill him. And, I'll admit, I'm still not very fond of any of you, but he… did give me a second chance, and it... doesn't feel as bad as I thought. So, I'm also willing to give this 'new life' a small chance.]" I glared at her. "[So what then, after you complete this, you are going to kill me?]"

She stayed silent for a while, simply looking at me, before sighing. "[No. If you… are really trying to… change, then fine.]" She walked back to her spot. "[I still… don't like you.]"

I snorted. "[Feeling's mutual.]" I saw as she sat down. "[By the way, what's taking your-]"

A loud roar cut me off, and at first I thought it had been that idiot, announcing his presence, but I realized that it hadn't been him. His roar didn't sound like that. I wasn't the only one that had reached that conclusion, as his sister stood up and we both looked at the sky. At first there was nothing, only the clear sky without a single cloud.

I turned my head around, and if it wasn't for my hearing, I would have been smashed down to the ground. I had barely a second to react and throw myself closer to my temporary partner, dodging the attack that created a crater and a cloud of dust just where I had been standing a second ago.

The two of us stood side by side, waiting for the dust to settle, and when it did we were greeted by the sight of what I could only call an overgrown ball of spikes. "[He, he, he. Good reaction time. It would just have been boring if I took you out so easily. I always liked playing with my food.]"

He – at least the voice sounded like a he – was completely covered in spikes, even on his wings, with two oversized horns on his head, though one had the tip cut off. Two small eyes and a row of mismatched teeth finished the look. "[I have hunted several of your kind, Fire Elder, but you…]" He turned his head at the Elder at my side with a _really_ creepy smile. "[I have never eaten a Child of the Dark, or are you one of those Ascended. You don't look the part.]" That made her growl. "[But you'll feed my strength all the same.]"

I just stared between the two. "[So, we are being hunted by an overgrown hedgehog?]"

That made him turn to me with a glare. "[Don't sell yourself so high. I can see you are young, and she is weak.]" He licked his teeth. "[I'll enjoy eating you slowly.]"

Could he get anymore creepier? Still, I didn't know who this Elder was, and neither did her. We looked at each other and nodded. We might not like the other, but survival came first.

And survive we will.

* * *

 **A.N.: before I forget, Alma and Mabel were submitted by RabidArmenian!**

 **Ironwood: ah, sure nothing could happen right now. Daora: SURPRISE MOTHERFUCKER!**

 **Same goes for Luna and Gore's sister (I still need to find her a name, I know). And we also meet a new Keeper, alongside a hunter that may be able to give Qrow a run for his money when it comes to drinking. For Zorah, I imagined him like one of the dwarves from Lord of the Rings in personality: mostly carefree, with a linking for alcoholic drinks but can get serious when the situation demands it. Also, a very approachable Elder, probably easiest to make friends from all the Keepers.**

 **And will Gore reach these two on time? In any case, he's going to be rightfully** _ **pissed**_ **, and you all know how that ended last time.**

 **And yes, Midnight and Icharias are on their way back, they just haven't showed up yet.**

* * *

 **Omake: PATAPON!**

"Well…" Said, Summer looking down at the things that stared back at her. "When Ozpin told us to investigate this area, _this_ … was definitely _not_ what I was expecting."

Gore kept her senses focused on the small little things. "I… have no idea what these are."

Standing in front of them was a small army of little beings made of a single eye, with two arms and legs, with some of them variating slightly. All of them were black, except for the sclera which was a clear white, with the eye not having an iris, just a black pupil. All of them were a bit taller than Summer's ankle, with small helmets and weapons in their possession. One even had a small flag instead of a weapon.

The little things seemed to snap out of their stupor too and one of them shouted. "More evil Giants! Attack!"

Suddenly, the entire army began throwing little spears, arrows and all assortment of things towards the two. While all of them pinged off Gore's armor, Summer wasn't so lucky. "Hey! Ow! Watch it, those things sting!" She was trying her best to dodge the projectiles, but there were too many, even if they didn't truly do anything noteworthy to her or her Aura. Gore sighed and extended one of his wings in front of Summer as cover. She peaked over the appendage, smiling at him. "Thanks!"

Meanwhile, Gore was focused on their way of attacking. They seemed to be following the rhythm of some sort of drums that he could hear but not see, not even through his feelers. He admits, though, it was a catchy tune.

Behind his wing, Summer tried to calm them down. "Listen, we are not your enemies! We just came here to – ow! – investigate something!"

The little things didn't relent, until a more feminine voice came from the mass of eyes and weapons. "Stop! Stop!" The music and the attack stopped, and another figure stepped forwards from behind the mass of the little… things. When it reached them, Gore and Summer discovered who the voice belonged to. It was another of the things, but this one had a small green cape and five colorful feathers on her head, with two star earrings on the sides of her… head? Body? Did they even have ears? "They haven't attacked us yet. Maybe they are telling the truth."

"Of course we are!" Shouted Summer from behind his wing.

"They have stopped throwing things at us, you come out now." He said as he brought his wing back.

"Finally! It doesn't actually hurt, but they sting." She looked down and crouched in front of the new arrival. "Who are you anyway? And why did you attack us?"

The small thing waved her staff. "I am Meden, spiritual leader of the Patapons. We have come from far away to search for IT, with the guidance of the Almighty, so we can find eternal happiness, as the prophecy foretold."

Summer twisted her head to the side. "Well, it's a pleasure to meet you. I'm Summer Rose, and he is my partner, Gore." The Elder gave a lazy hand wave. "But what do you mean by 'IT'? And who is the Almighty?" While the two talked, Gore stepped forwards and kneeled in front of a small group of these 'Patapons'. The little things recoiled and he proceeded to smell them.

He turned to Summer. "They smell weird." He proceeded to pick one up while the others tried to keep him down to no avail. Gore snickered as the little thing tried to escape, even if he was holding it with just two fingers. He proceeded to shake it, watching as its eyeball rocked in different directions "They're funny. I think Ruby would like them."

"Gore, put the poor thing down." Gore shrugged and let the Patapon down, with some of its friends coming to help the stunned one steady. She turned back to Meden. "Sorry about that."

"As long as he doesn't intend on eating us, it's alright. As I was saying, we… don't exactly know what 'IT' is supposed to look like, only that we will find happiness once we lay eyes on it. As for the Almighty, he is our deity, helping us reach 'IT' with his magical drums."

"Ohhh, so that was the music we heard before."

Meden nodded. "As for attacking you, you are not the first of your kind we encounter." That worried Summer and Gore, who looked at each other before Meden continued. "One of them was even bigger than your friend and the other had a strange tail with a stinger on his back. He was also smiling and laughing all the time. Upon seeing us, the one with the tail decided it would be fun to squish us and attacked us."

Summer didn't need more. "Tyrian." She growled through her teeth. "And based on your description, the other one must be Hazel." She turned back to Meden. "How did you survive them?"

The one bearing the flag stepped forward. "We didn't just survive, we beat them back!" At his word the rest of the army cheered. Summer looked at Gore with shock all over her face and the dragon shrugged. "They were no match for our might! Not even the giant beasts that came after managed to beat us!"

"Umm…" Summer was at a loss for words. "I don't know where the thing you are searching for is – you don't even know how it looks like –," she muttered under her breath, "but maybe we can help each other. It's dangerous to be alone out here, even if you can fight. I know someone that might be able to help you find… whatever 'IT' is."

There were murmurs and even small cheers coming from the little things. "We would appreciate it."

"Then it's settled." Summer rose up and signaled them to follow. "C'mon."

The Patapons cheered and the music started playing again, the little things following the rhythm perfectly. Summer snickered and turned to Gore as they guided the small beings. "I like them. I think they are cute." She looked back at them. "Still, how did they manage to beat both Tyrian _and_ Hazel at the same time? Their weapons barely stung…"

* * *

 **Later, on Salem's domain…**

The Queen of the Grimm clasped her hands together and looked at the two men at the other side of the table. "Let's see if I understood what you said correctly, because for a moment there I thought you were pulling a _very unwelcomed_ joke on me." Tyrian gulped and Hazel could do nothing more than to look down at the floor. Both had their clothes torn and had several wounds on their bodies, with even parts of the Faunus' stinger bleeding. "During the mission I sent you to accomplish, you found a small army of… what did you call them again?"

On one side of the table, Watts was trying to keep the laughter in, both from the story and the predicament his colleagues were in. On the other side, a young Cinder tried (and failed) to understand what had happened. Tyrian spoke in a rushed voice. "Walking, talking eyeballs, my goddess! They look cute and adorable, but they are armed and unrelenting and-!"

"Enough!" Silence reigned on the hall. "I sent you both to a very simple mission to kill a huntsman, and you come back, in shambles, claiming to have been defeated by walking eyeballs, armed with swords, bows and spears." Her tone was cold, deadly even. "For what kind of fool do you take me, Tyrian?"

"M-my goddess, I assure you, I am not-!"

"Hazel, it seems Tyrian's madness has finally broke him. What did truly happen? Was Ozpin or one of his agents there?"

Hazel mumbled something that nobody could hear. Salem inched closer, waiting for him to speak louder. Finally, in a hushed whisper, he spoke audibly. "He is telling the truth, ma'am."

Salem closed her eyes and sighed. She got up from her chair and looked outside, trying to decide on what to do with her tow _clearly mad_ subordinates. That's when she head a faint sound coming from somewhere outside, but nowhere on sight from the window.

She turned around, trying to find the responsible, but only noticed her four underlings and how the two standing up had tensed immediately. The sound kept getting closer, and she could now identify it as some sort of… drums? It was a very catchy tune, that's for sure.

"The drums…" Muttered Tyrian. "Oh, no. Nonononononono. They're here. They're here!"

Watts had become serious upon hearing the sound, thinking of intruders. "Shut up, you mumbling idiot!" He turned to Salem. "Ma'am, they might have been followed, and the intruders may already be inside the castle. What do we do?"

Salem didn't say anything as she watched Tyrian curl into a ball in the corner and Hazel went rock still, with a panicked look on his face. She waited, hearing the drums come closer, with the beat becoming much clearer every second. Now she could discern the sequences of drums and the smaller, high pitched voices that accompanied them.

"Your orders, ma'am?"

She frowned. "Prepare to defend yourselves." Cinder stood up and prepared alongside Watts for the appearance of their new enemy. She turned to the other two. "And you both will either react of face my wrath when this is over." Hazel steeled himself and turned to face the door, but he was still trembling. Tyrian simply rocked back and forth with his legs close to his chest.

The drums became louder and louder until she could tell they were on the other side of the door. She waited for a few seconds until…

 _PON-PON-PATA-PON!_

The door flew off its hinges and a mass of small, one-eyed things entered barreling through the open space. Tyrian instantly screamed atop of his lungs and Hazel was frozen in fear. The rest of the people inside the hall realized far too late that those two were telling the truth, as more and more Patapons charged towards them

Salem conjured her magic, while Watts and Cinder tried their best to defend themselves from the small creatures. Meanwhile, the little things charged with shields upfront, followed by spears and archers, even some of them flying on some weird birds. The sound of cheers, screams and drums reverberated throughout the castle.

It was a glorious day for the Patapon army, even if they didn't find 'IT'.

* * *

"They are so cuuuuute!" None of the Patapons were prepared for the human child to launch herself at them and hug as many as her little arms allowed.

Tai stepped closer to his daughter. "Ruby, dear, I don't think you should-"

Before he could finish, Ruby hissed at him and ran back up the stairs, with some of the little creatures falling off her arms and down the stairs as well. While some of them tried to pry themselves off, others found it was quite comfortable and decided to return the hug or simply chill on her arms.

Tai sighed and looked around the house. They were everywhere: on the couch, above the TV, on the stairs, behind picture frames. Some had even got inside the kitchen and where trying to use the knives and forks as weapons, with different degrees of success.

*crash!*

His eye twitched and he turned to Qrow when he heard him chuckle. Some of the Patapons were all over him, but he didn't seem to mind. He reached for his flask and gestured to Taiyang. "Want some?"

The blonde man took one last look around and sighed again before picking up the flask.

* * *

 **Next one will be the return of MK.**

 **Now, Reviews!**

 **proiu: you were correct, my friend! One digital cookie for you! (Watch out for Ruby)**

 **HBgamer111: eyup, here it is!**

 **98kazer: ya know, I'm starting to think I made it too easy.**

 **Ssj1998: thank you!**

 **Shocknawe 425: maybe in the future, though I don't think any of them will be like her. Maybe they'll be as clever as some Elders, but no transforming.**

 **RabidArmenian: surprise! You characters are here! I'll show more of them in the coming chapters.  
I'm not telling. You must find out later on.  
Jimmy may get a promotion… if he survives.  
Thank you! And quickly, someone call 911! Someone is going after the cookies!**

 **Knightwolf1875: I mean, in TF:P, he's just so badass he spacebridges anyone he doesn't like. It's like he's not even bothered by it. Airachnid has turned half the ship into zombie robots and is after me? Meh, I'll just bridge her to a moon and be done with it. And we'll see about our boi Jimmy later on.**

 **D4rkMiz3r: thank you! Shame to say you failed, but maybe she'll show up soon…**

 **Therealvahl: nope! The big one is none of them. I have been made known that** _ **I got it wrong**_ **and named the big one an Elder Dragon when it was a Flying Wyvern (like, how?! It doesn't even have wings!), so it is my fault.**

 **Raptorex: I checked the wiki and… you're right. HOW IN ALL THE FUCKS IS THAT A FREAKING** _ **FLYING WYVERN**_ **?! Ugh, sorry for getting it wrong. I assumed he was an Elder Dragon since he didn't actually fit into any other categories, thus** _ **Elder dragon**_ **, where they shove any monster that doesn't fit. BUT NOPE! IT'S A FREAKING WYVERN. FUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU-**

 **Guest: yup! Another that got it right.**

 **What if: oh yeah, I see them- and now they're gone breaking the sound barrier. It's not a bad idea, but I can't say if I'll use it or not, so don't get your hopes up. MAYBE, just maybe.**

 **Cormin12: English is not my first language so I apologize for my mistakes. And I know it is not completely lore-friendly, but it's my take on my favorite monster and the species.**

 **Neb: you what I like about your reviews, Neb? First, is** _ **one singular review**_ **, not several separated for the same chapter, which is a pain in the ass to answer. And second, you always make me think and give good ideas. I mean all of this seriously. Kudos to you, my friend!  
I get it, I get it. I'll see what I can do with the Chameleos. There are just so many Elders, so don't expect to see **_**all**_ **of them.  
I won't say anything about Kulve Taroth, but she has high chances of appearing in the story.  
Oh, Nergis are smart. And yes, the other Elders basically view them as cannibalistic, psychotic killing machines. Not that they can't be beaten, but they are the ones you don't talk about in a conversation. Luckily, they are rare and don't tend to wander too close to the usual areas were Elders live in, apart from the New World.  
Again, my mistake. Ukanlos is not an Elder, but the Kushala that created the storm is.  
Maybe. I'm still debating on that. It presents an opportunity, but it may also make the story too clogged with characters. I didn't know Astalos ACCIDENTALLY cannibalize their children. Wtf?!**

 **Th- th- that's all, folks!**

 **Have a great day!**


	24. Chapter 22: Blood and frustration

**A.N.: hello there! How y'all been doing? I've had some family problems for a while but hopefully next week everything returns to normal. I'm sorry to say that there is no omake today, simply because I've run out of time.**

 **Oh, and before anything says something, NONE of the songs are mine. I don't take credit for them. They were made by the incredible FalKKonE.**

 **Enjoy!**

* * *

 **Black Dragon, White Rose**

 **Chapter 22**

 **Blood and frustration**

 **/ Luna P.O.V. /**

 **(Play:** **Monster Hunter: World - Nergigante Theme** **【** **Intense Symphonic Metal Cover** **】** **)**

This wasn't going well. Not well at all! I moved to the side as his arm stomped right where I was not a second ago. I inhaled for a second and released my fire breath in him, forcing him to cover his face and back away a couple steps. This gave time for my partner to get up from where she had been thrown and charge, with enough strength to push him away and make him lose balance. I stopped my attack and breathed heavily. Maybe I should have trained with that eyeless idiot instead of slacking off…

We stood side by side as he got up. Every time we managed to do something to him, those spikes of his seemed to regrow even stronger, to a point that it was almost as if an armor was covering him. And while none of us were weak, he was brutal and relentless. But he was going to pay! Oh, I would make sure of that!

He chuckled and looked at us. "[Yes, yes, you both will make a great meal.]" He charger back, aiming for me, but before he could reach, he changed targets and got her by surprise. They fought, trying to reach the neck and weak parts of the other, and I moved behind him. I jumped and prepared to land on his back. He wasn't like that black-scaled idiot. Without those annoying extra arms, he won't be able to-

I wasn't able to react in time as he managed to throw her at me, with the both of us flying backwards and flattening a few trees on our landing. Okay, he's stronger than he looks. And by the time he took to reach us, at a slow pace, he wasn't in any hurry to finish this fight. We got up and charged back. I went to his left and aimed for the wing, while she attacked the head. Or tried to.

He managed to catch her and pulled her down to the ground, bur that gave me time to climb onto his side, ignoring the pain from the spikes, and began clawing at his wing. He grunted in pain and twisted around. Ha! As if you would get me off with such weak attempt!

As if hearing my thoughts, he released that idiot's sister and moved sideways, slamming me through every tree he found until my back hit a rock. The wave of pain made me release him and fall down to the ground. I could see my partner try to get him from his back, but he noticed and slapped her away with his tail before turning to me and smashing my head on the rock.

I almost lost consciousness then and there. How dare he?! Through my blurred vision, I discerned his figure reaching for her and doing the same towards the ground several times, following by throwing her through several trees. I tried to get up, but several spikes sent my way impaled themselves on me, forcing me back down

"[Don't move. I'll be with you later.]" He passed by me and reached her. She struggled, but he wasted no time in hitting her over and over. No! Damn it, I made a promise! I intend to keep it, if only to prove that jerk that he could allow me to be on my own!

I tried standing up again, groaning and trying to recover my vision. To my bad luck, this pest of a winged hedgehog noticed and turned around with a smile. "[My, my. Hadn't I told you not to stand up? Such bad manners, but if you want to die earlier, then fine with me.]"

He took his time in reaching me, with slow steps as most of his spines grew black. I had a few still on my body, but I pushed through them. I wasn't going to be anybody's meal, damn it! Not today, not in a million years! I growled at him, and tried focusing on my flames, but the pain was too much. I forced myself to limp a couple of steps backwards, trying to gain some time. He just smiled wider.

 **(End song)**

Suddenly, several completely black clouds started covering the sun over us, but he didn't seem to be faced by this. Looking behind him, I could see that my temporary partner had taken the worst of it and was out cold, but breathing. My tail hit a tree and I noticed there wasn't enough space for me to keep backing up. I turned to him again as he approached, and when I noticed something, time seemed to slow down.

In front of me, a completely black hair was falling down the ground. The thing is, it wasn't coming from the knocked out Elder, but from the sky above us. Giving another look to the clouds, I noticed a faint purple glow to them.

And, for once, I smiled knowing it was him.

There was no warning, not until it was too late. I just managed to see a black figure smash on the side of our attacker, with such speed and strength that the two created a line of crushed and broken trees for several meters.

I stepped forward, withstanding the pain and looking at where they had landed. Through the black mist, I barely managed to see that idiot's face, his purple horns extended, giving me a single nod. He turned back as the asshole that attacked us regained his balance and started standing up. I gave one last look at his sister, making sure she was still breathing, and moved as far away as I could.

Witch were only a few steps before my legs gave out. I rolled to my side and decided to take the roar of that… of Gore as my cue to take a small nap, with one final thought.

Whoever that Elder was, he was in for a gruesome end.

* * *

 **/ Gore P.O.V. /**

 **(Play:** **RE: Monster Hunter 4 - Mantle That Conceals Light ~ Gore Magala** **【** **Intense Symphonic Metal Cover** **】** **)**

There were few times in my entire life I felt like actually _hurting_ someone. I could actually number them on three: an Elder that tried to kill me several times back at the Steppes until I got him first, when my brother died and **now**. And I don't mean killing them, I mean making them suffer. I'll admit, I did exceed myself when fighting Luna, but right now, **I felt like pulling this guy's eyes out while he was still alive.**

He stood up and grunted, sending my way a smile. "[Oh, you are going to be far more fun than-]"

I didn't allow him to finish, roaring and launching myself at him. We wrestled and I found that those spikes of his were going to be a problem from the start. And those overgrown horns. **I would rip them off!** A shame for him that I had two extra arms to help me fight. I began pushing him back, keeping his head away from my neck as I searched for weak points, and lo and behold, his underside didn't have spikes.

 **It would be very easy to open him in two!**

I threw him to the side and gained some distance. While he recovered, I charged my Virus and fired right at his face, and with my enraged state, it exploded with enough power to make him reel a couple steps back. Or maybe it was my Aura. I didn't care right now. I kept firing, advancing slowly towards him, cracking the ground under my feet as he covered himself as best as he could.

Suddenly, he leaped forwards when I was close enough and aimed for my back. He wasn't expecting me to stand on my hind legs and catch him right off, plunging him to the ground. He struggled, but I just kept clawing and hitting on his unprotected underside. I kept him pinned, making more and more wounds, drawing more and more blood. **Yet still not enough!**

He finally managed to push me off and stand up, though he tumbled a bit before looking at where I had caused the wounds. And chuckled. "[Finally, a good fight! I'll be unbeatable after I feed of you!]" His smiled was starting to annoy me. **I'll wipe it off his face, even if I have to rip his mandible off!**

This time, he was the one charging at me, and I waited. But he did end up surprising me by feinting to the left and throwing himself at my right wingarm. He pulled and I was forced to the ground. He picked my head kept it pinned, but I wasn't going to let him do anything. My other wingarm shot out, trying to reach for anything.

And I got his horn

I smiled and pulled away with all my strength. He lost balance and I dragged his face through the ground until I reached a rock on the forest. You can imagine what I did, and I must say, I'm impressed. The rock shattered and his head was still in place. Before I could continue, his tail hit me on the head, making me back up. Immediately after, and with a roar, he jumped in the air and turned to me. I could see the attack coming from miles away, but I was too big of a target to dodge in-.

Or maybe not.

He flew towards me, but missed by a few inches when a white light covered the entire place. Spines from his body flew everywhere, and I kept myself to the ground. Still, many spikes reached me and I could feel my Aura break. I stood up and turned to him. And for the first time, his smile disappeared when I stepped through the dust of the attack in my human form. "[What the-?]" He didn't get to finish as I appeared in front of him in a blink and grabbed him by the horns. I saw that one of my wingarms was bleeding from some spikes but I pushed through it.

Before his claws could attack me, I pulled his head down and kept it there with my leg as my arms and wingarms _pulled_.

 **And I was delighted when I heard the first cracks.**

With his head in between me and his claws, the only thing he could do was struggle and pull back, but that only made my job easier, and let a smile scape as I saw the cracks expand through the horns. It seems I wasn't the only one that noticed, as the Elder under my foot struggled and growled even more. But he had tried to kill my sister and Luna, he tried to take my family away.

 **There is no escape!**

The bone of the horns gave up in the end and I almost fell backwards. In my hands, the fruits of my effort, and in front of me, the Elder reeling in pain. Before he could recover, I threw the horns aside and transformed once more, jumping at him. He realized I was on him too late as my claws reached his now spike-less side and started tearing through the skin. He wasn't defenseless, though, and managed to pull away from me.

 **Oh, don't run! We're just getting started!**

He jumped back and threw several small spikes at me. I swatted them away and began running at him. He sidestepped and I turned, trying to get a hold of him. But he was fighting defensively, and it was getting harder to find an opening. Nevertheless, he was not untouchable, and he could _**bleed**_. I raised myself on my hind legs and brought my other four arms down on him. He tried to jump backwards, but he hadn't noticed that I had pushed him back to the tree line. Without space to move, he was forced to take my attack.

But even as the ground cracked under his body and my weight, I wasn't finished. I grabbed him by his wings and a few spikes on his back and threw him as far as I could. As he smashed through a few trees, I ran at him with a roar. It was at this moment that I noticed that Summer and the others were close and would reach us soon. As long as they didn't get in between the fighting, I didn't care right now.

He did caught me by surprise by throwing a few spikes during my charge at my face. Or so he thought. I stopped and growled, and he took the bait. He went to bite my head off, and in that moment, I recoiled, making him overextend. From there, I just had to grab him and flip him over, pinning him between the ground and a rock.

He fought to stand up again, to cover his underside, but I wasn't going to let him. **Now it's your time to suffer**. I moved my right claw back and plunged it inside his chest. He roared in pain and I kept pushing in, feeling his muscles and tissue, his blood and, just what I was searching for, his bones. I pulled my claw a bit back and opened even more the wound as he trashed and screamed. Blood started pouring out and I tried to reach for the vital parts. A human would have already died by now, but we Elders were more resilient. If I were to let him go now, he could probably live, though not without scars.

 **He doesn't get to leave, though. Not until he is dead and rotting away!**

Luckily for him, I didn't manage to reach any bones with enough strength to break them. In a desperate effort, his tailed lashed out, but I managed to grab it. Which gave me an idea. I pulled my claw out, just as the others reached the clearing and started checking on my sister and Luna, and reached for his tail while I kept him pinned down. I noticed that he had managed to wound my right wingarm, but it would recover. I kept his body down and pulled once more, this time on his tail.

The Elder roared, bringing the attention of everyone in the clearing to us. Summer wasn't happy at my cruelty, but didn't stop me. The two hunters looked at me as if I was a thing from their worst nightmares and the Keepers only maintained a serious face, waiting to intervene if I needed it. But there was no need.

 **He is mine!**

With one final pull, bone, muscle and flesh broke and were ripped off as the tail came out in a bloody mess. I didn't spare a look towards the part and moved to his head. And _finally_ , that damned smile was off. Instead, his mouth was leaking blood and a look of fear and desperation plagued his eyes. **I simply couldn't thank Summer enough for my vision!** I grabbed his head and proceeded to slam it several times at the ground, cracking it.

His eyes were unfocused and I pulled him closer. **"[Look at me! I said, look at me, you worthless excuse of living being!]"** His eyes focused on me, and that was the only signal I needed to continue. **"[You tried to kill my family and my… friend, and you still think you can leave out alive?! I don't care who you are or what you want, but you crossed your last line.]"** I pulled him closer. **"[And I will make sure I am the last fucking thing you see, but not before you suffer.]"**

To my utter surprise, a weak laugh escaped his mouth. "[Y-you are… just l-like…me…]"

I remained silent at that. Maybe he was right, but I didn't care. **"[Only when I need to. And even still, I am better than you.]"**

 **(End song)**

I moved my claws to his neck, and slowly started cutting it, severing anything that was in my way. Blood poured out and his eyes shot wide as more blood started filling his mouth. Just to make sure, I moved to his underside and, with my two wingarms, ripped it open in a few seconds, with blood and organs sprawling out. I could hear Summer and one of the hunters gag at that. Finally, the life went out of his eyes in one last gurgle as he drowned on his own blood.

I turned my head to the side. **Fitting.**

I didn't spare the corpse another look and moved to where Dalamadur was checking on my sister. "[How is she? Will she be okay?]"

He nodded, unfazed by my brutality. With his age, I'm sure he has done something similar to those that tried to harm him. "She will recover, she is just unconscious. With time and rest she will be back on her feet soon."

I turned to Luna, which was being watched over by Daros. She had a few spikes still on her body and was breathing heavily. I know what I said to her before they left, but if it wasn't for her, my sister would be dead. I owed her. "[And her?]"

"Don't worry, lad. It looks worse than it actually is. Though we will need to pull the spikes out." I nodded and walked closer. Our relationship may have been strained, but I couldn't thank her enough now. "The only real problem will be getting them somewhere safe in their state."

Summer stepped forward. "I'll call Ozpin. He will want to know about this and we can treat them at the base." Summer sent me a look that told me that she wanted to speak later, but right now, I was worried about other things.

Summer pulled out her device, but we were all surprised when the thing rang before she could open it. She arched an eyebrow and picked up. "Yes?"

While she spoke, I retracted my feelers and returned my wingarms to my back. The clouds dissipated slowly and the sun shined again. I took a heavy breath and turned when Dalamadur laid a hand on my arm. "You did well. And I understand the brutality behind it, just don't make it common."

I nodded, understanding what he was talking about. But there were lines you didn't cross with me. Insult me? Fine, suit yourself. Entre my territory? As long as you don't attack, I'm fine with it. Harming my friends and family, though? Well, you've seen how that ended. I don't have a lot of people I consider close, but I intend to protect them with everything I have.

And yes, I'm _starting_ to consider Luna as a friend.

"Um, guys." We all turned to Summer. "It was Ozpin. He said that Midnight and Icharias are back with very important news. I told him what had happened and he's sending bullheads to pick them up." She turned to the corpse with a worried look. "And him too. We can't just leave him here for anyone to see."

I didn't care, but since we were keeping ourselves secret, I could agree to that last part. But it did surprise me that those two were back. And what was that about important news? Had something happened back in our world? Well, at least they were friendly faces. I was still somewhat wary of the new hunters, though they seemed alright. It could definitely be worse, with someone like the girl that brought me here.

After checking once more the two wounded Elders, Daur and Daros started talking, while Summer approached me. "If you can't find a place on land to transform close by, why not on water?"

There was a moment of silence as Dalamadur inhaled to answer, raising his finger, but he remained silent and lowered it slowly, followed by a facepalm. I mean, he knew how to swim, so the idea was actually good. "I swear it hadn't occurred to me. Am I really going senile?"

I turned as Summer stepped in front of me. "Hey. How's your wingarm feeling?"

I lowered it and showed it to her. While that thing had managed to cause some scratches here and there, he had managed to rip some of my black scales of the wing, showing the yellow ones under. It would heal, but now that the fight was over, my body was starting to ache and the wound actually hurt, even after taking off the spikes. _'It'll get better. I'll have to restrain on using it, though.'_ I sighed. _'That's not what you wanted to talk about, was it?'_

She rubbed her arm and looked away. "No… but I have the feeling you are not in a good mood right now." I deadpanned and she chuckled awkwardly. It was clear that we didn't need too much to understand each other. " _Definitely not_ in a good mood, and I don't blame you. It can wait."

I released a breath. _'Thanks.'_ I really didn't want to do that, and it was a small respite I was more than willing to take. Summer is great, but she is a human and I am an Elder, and she cares far more about morality and killing other beings.

Except Grimm. Grimm are free game, and they didn't leave any blood on the scales. I was going to have the smell of blood for the next couple of days. Great. Maybe I'll try that thing humans use, 'soap', was it?

"Ejem." We turned and I faced the two new hunters. "Soooo… that was brutal. I mean, we might take materials from you, but _that_ was on a whole other level." The one speaking seemed to have gotten out of the drunken state she was, at least partially. She still had a red tinge on her face.

The other stepped up. "What my partner is trying to say is that we had never seen an Elder kill another with such, well, brutality."

I scoffed and Summer took the chance to answer. "He's not normally like that. It's just that he is _very_ protective of his gamily and friends. I am too, so I understand why he would do something like this." She turned her head away slightly and muttered. "Even if I don't approve of all of it…"

"Well, in any case, I wanted to ask a question to… 'Gore', right? Not the most original name, but, oh well." She stepped forward and looked straight at me. What did this hunter want to ask? Ugh, don't tell me she's someone that I have killed a close friend or family again. I'm not with enough patience to deal with someone like that right now. Instead of that, she smiled widely and pulled a pair of pincers and a tube of crystal from somewhere. "Would it be too much to ask for a few samples of that Virus. It's the first time I've seen one of your kind, and researching your Virus would be so exciting!"

Summer giggled as the partner of the hunter brought her hand to her face. "Mabel…"

Wait, tubes, samples, studying, research…

Oh for the Ancients, not another mad scientist, please.

* * *

The return to the base was done in silence, with Summer on my back. After entering and telling the people inside to see to the two wounded Elders, we moved to where Ozpin was waiting. This time we were able to enter through the hangar, but Summer wasn't as excited as she would normally be. And while I was happy for ending that whelp's life, I was more worried about my sister and Luna. And what Midnight had to say.

I think we all had a lot to catch upon.

But imagine my surprise when not only them were waiting for us, but also Sarah. Ozpin was also there, but that was a given. Was she related to the news? Or did Ozpin simply brought her here to not leave her at the academy? As far as I knew, he was dealing with a new year in the school and would be busy, so maybe he couldn't leave her alone and brought her here to keep an eye on her. Plus, she may be interested in what they have to say.

I still wasn't in a good mood, so she better stay to herself.

I was already transformed in my human form as we walked to them. Icharias still had his armor on but Midnight smiled upon seeing us. Dalamadur was the first to speak. "It's good to see you both. You've missed on quite a lot," he sent me a look before continuing, "but that can wait. Ozpin told us you had important news."

They both looked at each other and nodded, her smile disappearing into a saddened look. "Yes, and they aren't good ones."

During this exchange, I noticed Sarah looking at me with a raised eyebrow. "What happened to you? I heard something about another Elder from Ozpin." I turned to her and she gave a smug smile. "Did that one also insult your sister and you decided to fight it?"

The conversation silenced around us and Summer stepped closer. "Actually, it was more-"

"He tried… to kill her." Ancients, was it difficult to talk in human language still. But she just couldn't shut up, and my patience had reached its limit.

Her eyes widened and she looked away. "Oh. I… I didn't-"

I put a finger on her chest and leaned closer. "And… unlike you, I… ma-managed to keep… the ones I care about alive."

Her eyes widened, and she wasn't the only one. But I didn't care. I almost lost my sister today, and she mocks about it?! She can burn in hell. I growled and turned around. I needed tome to think, to calm down, but a hand grabbed my arm and stopped me. I turned and was met with Summer's stern face. "That was too much, Gore. She didn't know and, while the joke was on bad taste, you can't blame her."

I refrained from turning completely as Summer still held my arm. _'I don't care. That she didn't know doesn't give her the right to say whatever she wants about me.'_

She still didn't let go and I _really_ didn't want to do this. "Then she can apologize _after_ you do the same." I could almost feel something inside of me snap. "You need to-"

I turned to her, rage flowing all through me. _'I am_ not _your fucking pet! I am not Ruby or Yang, you can't try and make me do something I don't want to! I almost lost my sister and you want me to say sorry to the one joking about it, as if I was some sort of trained animal or child?!'_ Her eyes were wide and scared, but I kept going. _'You want me to be a human, to look at the world through your perspective, but I am not! I am an Elder, and I will_ never _be a human!'_

Everyone was looking at us, even though only she could hear what I was saying. I may be mad, but I'm not going to lose control and be a screaming voice inside of Ruby or Yang, or even Ozpin for that fact. As for her, her eyes where still wide and scared, glued to me. Only then did I notice I was breathing quite heavily, and that I had snapped at the wrong person.

I looked around and took a couple of steps away from Summer. Damn it! "Rargh!" I turned around and stomped away. Nothing could go right today, could it?! First I had to leave my sister, then she gets attacked, and now I dumped all of my anger on one of the people around me that were trying to help!

I seriously needed to be alone now.

* * *

 **/ Midnight P.O.V. /**

Wow. I don't know what that was about, but by the state that he had left the poor Summer, it must've been harsh. There were no words but, by the Ancients, could I feel the tension and anger from here. And I wasn't the only one that noticed, by the looks of it..

Summer composed herself but was stopped from following him by Daur. "Let him be for now. He needs to calm down and gather his thoughts. It has been a taxing day for him specially, and he is not in the best mind right now. I understand that, as his friend, you only had his best interests in mind, but we Elders have… fiery tempers."

Yeah, I could attest to that. She sighed. "I… I know, but what he said…" She removed his hand off her shoulder and walked in another direction. "I think I need to gather my thoughts too."

"We understand, Summer." Said Ozpin. "We'll be in the meeting room for when you return."

Well, I wasn't going to leave this like this. Maybe that idiot though he needed to be alone, but he needed someone to talk to. Elder or not, I doubt that dwelling in his mistakes will end well. "I'll go talk with that numbskull. You wait here."

She turned to me. "Are you sure? He just-"

I nodded. "Don't worry. I have you covered." I smiled and gave her a thumbs up before sprinting after the Elder.

Normally, with this place being so big and with no maps around to guide myself around, it would have taken me quite a while to find him, if I didn't get lost in the way. Luckily for me, he wasn't what you would call inconspicuous, and by asking a few questions here and there to the people around, I knew where he went rather quickly. After a couple of minutes, I turned a corner and got sight of him.

He was standing with his arms crossed and looking through a glass to a room where her sister was recovering. Honestly, it was rather ominous, with him being the only figure on the entire hallway. I walked closer and he sighed. "[What do you want?]" There was no anger in his voice, only tiredness and maybe a bit of annoyance.

I shrugged and stepped closer. "Good to know your feelers work just fine. And don't worry, I'm just here to talk."

He shook his head. "[After that mess up back there, I'm not sure I really want to talk to anyone else today. Everything that could go wrong today, has gone even worse than I could have imagined.]"

I nodded and stepped to his side. "You tell me. We return to our world only to find our village burnt to the ground and everyone gone."

His head snapped so fast I though he would break his neck. "[Wh- really?]"

I nodded. "And that's not all. I later discovered that my master, my _friend_ , was the one behind it and that he had betrayed the Keepers." It was my turn to sigh and look down. "So, yeah, I know that feeling."

He 'looked' at me for a few moments before nodding and turning back to look at his sister. "[I guess… we can all have bad days.]"

"Or weeks." He snorted and I smiled, but it vanished a second later. "You know, it wasn't his betrayal that hurt the most. Oh, it did hurt, right here." I pointed at my heart. "But what really, _really_ hurts its not knowing. Not knowing why he did it, not knowing if he thought about us when doing it." Before I could notice it, a tear fell down to the floor. "Not knowing if all these years, all the time we spent together, didn't matter to him at all."

He turned to me. "I-I just… would like to know _why…_ "

I was on full blown tears when I noticed he had his wingarm extended to me, offering a hug. And I accepted. Heh. And it was supposed to be me the one helping him. But I had been holding this in for a while and I needed to get it out of my chest. Sure, I could have done it with Icharias, but the moment never presented itself, and I was still coping with what had happened.

We stayed liked that for a few moments before I calmed myself. I wiped my tears off and stepped back. "You know, I was expecting that hug to be… weird on your part."

He let out a laugh. "[I live with Summer and Ruby. Either I learnt to hug in human form without crushing them or I would be the one hugged all the time.]" I smiled at that, until he let out a breath and turned to look at his sister. "[I know it wasn't right to snap at Summer like that, but it has been a long day, and that teasing was the last thing I needed. I know Summer doesn't treat me as a pet, and that she accepts me for what I am. It's just… every ounce of anger from the day came out when it shouldn't.]"

I smiled and waved him off. "Don't beat yourself over it. If you don't want to apologize to Sarah, then don't. But you _need_ to apologize to Summer. You shouldn't lose a friend over a temper tantrum."

He nodded. "[Then let's go. The sooner, the better.]"

"There you go! It wasn't that hard, was it?"

"[Yeah, yeah.]" He waved me off as we began walking. "[Oh, and as for your problem, simply ask him why.]" I raised an eyebrow. "[I mean it seriously. When the time comes, find him, and if he doesn't want to tell you, force it out of him. If you want answers, then you do what you must to get them. Simple as that.]"

It wasn't what I was expecting, but then again, he wasn't wrong. Kirin had betrayed us and gave our village to the Guild. Whatever the reason, I wasn't going to find answers if I didn't try. Obviously, I would talk to him first, but if he really had betrayed us, if he didn't answer my questions, then I would have to be more… _assertive_ when I tried to find answers, even if that meant beating him into a pulp before he decided to talk.

It didn't take us long to reach the meeting room, and surprisingly enough, Summer was on the other side of the hallway heading to the same place. Huh, talk about good timing. "I'll leave you to it." I entered the room and closed the door behind me. I don't think they will take long, but it was a conversation that I had no part in.

I looked around and saw all eyes on me. "Well?"

I smiled to Daur and took a seat. "I think they're going to be fine."

* * *

 **/ Summer P.O.V. /**

After Midnight stepped in, we remained in silence for a while at the other side of the door. It was uncomfortable, to say the least. I had honestly been thinking about what he had said. Had I been treating him as a pet? Had I been trying to change him? At first I thought not, but then I realized that I had actually been trying for him to change. And I don't mean the things I teach him about humans, but how I wanted him to apologize at times and be nicer to people around him.

And that led me to think that he may have had a reason to snap at me. I had actually been trying to change him without even noticing. And not because I didn't like how he behaved. He was really nice and a very good friend, but I just didn't want him to get in any trouble with other humans. In a way, he reminded me of Raven, with an icy exterior but with an actual good person inside of them. Or so I thought…

Maybe that's why I tried to change him.

Well, I needed to apologize anyway, so I stepped forward, just at the same time as he did.

"Gore, I just wanted to say I'm sor-" _'I'm sorry about before-'_

We stared at the other before a smile crept up on my face and we both let out a small laugh. _'You can go first, if you want.'_

"I can wait. You go first."

' _Very well'_ He let out a breath. _'I'm sorry I snapped at you like that before, Summer. You were just trying to help and I dumped all of my frustration of the day on you. I should't have, and I understand if you are angry at me.'_

I blinked a couple of times and smiled. "It's alright. I was actually going to apologize to you. You were kind of right. I have been trying for you to be nicer around other people, as if you were a child, and after today, I realized I shouldn't have done that. I don't actually know why, maybe because I'm a mother, or because you remind me of Rae when we first met, and I just don't want you to end like her. But-"

' _Stop.'_ He cut me off. _'You just wanted to help me around humans. And while I won't always be kind to other people, I don't want to be a jerk around them either. And if you are worried about me going off and begin raiding villages, you can forget about it. Friends stand at each other's side, and no matter how many times you try to tease me,'_ I chuckled nervously, _'I will always help you when you need me.'_

I smiled and nodded. "Then you'll always have my help, no matter if the rest of the world sees you as a monster." I opened my arms. "Awkward friendship hug?"

He opened his. _'Awkward friendship hug.'_ We moved forward and embraced each other for a couple of seconds.

"Pat, pat." _'Pat, pat.'_

It was something Ruby and Yang had taken a liking on doing and I found it fun to repeat. And since Gore didn't mind if we weren't on public, there was no problem in doing it. We opened the door to the office and stepped in. Ozpin greeted us with a smile and a nod. "Now that we are all here, we can begin."

We all nodded and agreed. I was just happy that what happened before was nothing more than a small discussion. Lets just hope that whatever news they brought weren't bad.

Icharias stood. "I'll get to the point. Upon our return to our village, we found it destroyed and with our friends gone. Later we were told that it had been thanks to the aid of Kirin, one of the Seven. There is no doubt of this information as it came from White Fatalis himself. Kirin has betrayed us and taken our village away."

…

This day just couldn't end well, could it?

* * *

 **A.N.: did anyone catch the reference? Also, that Nergi got dismembered and destroyed, though Gore will have to be more careful if he doesn't want to end up with larger wounds next time.**

 **And yes, everything that could've gone wrong, went wrong. It's just one of** _ **those**_ **days.**

 **Reviews!**

 **RabidArmenian: heyo, my dude! I'm glad you like how I wrote them. And I hope you like the first row seat to the dismemberment of an Elder! And while I appreciate your patience, sorry to keep you waiting. (If you catch the reference, I'll give you a random dragon egg. At least Ruby won't try to eat this one)**

 **proiu: they came out alive, which is alright. And good hunt! I don't know which Elders will get to show off, so it's a surprise for everyone!**

 **MH4life: thank you! And maybe~. You'll know more about it later.**

 **98kazer: well, when you put it like that, it does leave very few options. Still, people got it and that's great!**

 **hazamaBlazBlueon: you** _ **can**_ **, not like I was going to stop you, but this story** _ **isn't**_ **romance and I have never tried it, so I don't think I will be too good at it. But, who knows? Maybe something happens in the future.**

 **darkvampirekisses: I like the name, but I can only picture the Simpsons when you say it XD. And nope, he wasn't ready for the Gore Nuke.**

 **Knightwolf: I mean, with 80-90% of the Decepticon army being completely useless, he not only manages to be useful, but is terrifyingly effective both at his job and at combat. And that is a really good question. I might write a separate fanfic of him in Remnant sometime in the future, but here he would just hack the CCT and do what he can to get back to the army, while working for the best bidder most surely.**

 **Guest: Gore explained at the beginning of the story. Through** _ **several long years**_ **, he managed to get a grasp on written language because of the use of ink on paper. What humans take 2-3 years as toddlers to get completely right, he went through, at the very least, 15 years of trying to decipher.**

 **Guest(x2): eyyyyyyyyyyyy! Rejoice, for the mind reader is back! IN BLACK!**

 **Glad you could make it, and I hope everything is alright on your end. And many, many thanks for the support. I was a bit afraid at first with the turn I was taking but almost all of you liked it, so I was very relieved. And yes, I don't want to clog the story with different Elders.**

 **I hope you like the fight! And as for Vaal Hazak, we shall see. Indeed, she is misunderstood, and I have no idea of what would happen if her Miasma and the Virus mixed. Gore and his Virus** _ **end biomes**_ **, after all, so I have no fricking idea.**

 **And thank you again!**

 **Raptorex(x2): it just bothers me, but I'm okay. And yeah, I assumed so. Still having a hard time wrapping my head over those two being flying Wyverns. And so, we have another bloodthirsty monster on the rooster. Damn, no wonder they so THICC.**

 **Deco.72: not a bad idea, but I think I have a solution for the name issue. You'll see at the end of the A.N.**

 **Omnisaurus: soon enough. The strategy of the Guild is to deal with Elders first, then to the next most dangerous Inferiors. And yes, there are intelligent Inferiors, but they are scarce and on hiding, so it'll take a whole before they take precedence for the Guild.**

 **Guest:… um…, whooops? I apologize for the plot hole. I will try and fix it in a later time, and thank you for pointing it out and not being a jerk about it. Many people would, and I'm not perfect. I have to keep many things in mind with this story and I may make mistakes. Again, thank you.**

 **So, some of you have proposed a name for Gore's sister, and I found a solution for the conundrum.**

 **Names:**

 **Maggie(darkvampirekisses)**

 **Solaris(Deco.72)**

 **Gala(mine)**

 **So, tell me in the comments, or PM me, what name fits her best! I like you guys to participate, especially knowing that most of you give amazing ideas! Note that you can still send a suggestion with any other name, and if I like it, I may use it, so let your imagination run wild!**

 **Sorry there's no omake this time. IRL issues got a lot of my time.**

 **I hope you enjoyed!**

 **Have a great day!**


	25. Chapter 23: Secrets unveiled

**A.N.: hello there! I just watched the new Godzilla film this weekend and holy shit is it awesome! And the soundtrack is just on point. If you haven't watched it already, go do it. I honestly love it.**

 **With that said, enjoy!**

* * *

 **Black Dragon, White Rose**

 **Chapter 23**

 **Secrets unveiled**

 **/ Gore P.O.V. /**

Is it too late to restart the day?

After the hunter told us the news, everything descended into chaos. Daur and Daros tried to get all the information they could get, Ozpin stood silent, simply listening to the questions and answers, while Midnight and Icharias attempted to keep the room calm and get some words out. I, on the other hand, was explaining Summer what was going on. Not that I knew all the facts, but I tried my best to pay attention and explain at the same time.

In the end, the two Elders told everyone to exit the room while they talked with Midnight and Icharias on private. Ozpin and that bi- _the hunter_ went away, on the excuse of Ozpin showing her around. I honestly didn't have much hope with her, but Ozpin was wise. If anyone knew how to make her stop being biased against us, it was him no doubt. I wouldn't like her either way, but it would be better for us for her not to be, well… an asshole.

Humans really have inventive insults.

I headed to where Luna was recovering, to see if she was doing well and, if she was awake, to thank her. I know what I said before she left with my sister, but I wasn't expecting an attack from another Elder. And she took a lot of hits to protect my sister. Maybe she did it for her, maybe just for selfish reasons, but I didn't care. Either way, this proves that she is not as bad as I thought, she just needed a bit more time.

And so, with Summer on tow, we headed there, not before passing to see how my sister was doing. She was still unconscious, but I could already tell her wounds were healing and that she would recover. The problem of her Ascension was still there, but that could come later. For now, it would be better for her to rest.

"You know," called Summer, "we never searched for a name for your sister."

That… hmm… she was right. And I don't think my sister would mind if we did, as long as it wasn't anything I know she wouldn't like. But, it also allowed me to tease her with a name like, I don't know, 'Maggie'… A smile spread through my lips and I nodded to Summer. Whatever the name, I was going to call her that. Oh, I'm sure that would get her in her nerves. Perfect.

Leaving that thought for later, we kept moving and reached the room where Luna was being kept. And, why am I not surprised, the door opens to let out a couple of scientists screaming and rolling on the ground to put out the fires on them. It was nothing lethal, but boy were they panicked. I watched them go and run away, and when we made sure nobody else was around, I transformed back and entered the room.

Inside, Luna was laying on the ground, looking bored out of her skull and letting out small flames as she breathed. Well, at least her fire worked just fine. She turned her head when we appeared through the bigger door, but didn't address us until we got closer. "[Tell those humans that I don't need them to be watching over me. And that if they try to do something like that again, I will make sure they become black burnt patches on the wall.]"

I traduced for Summer and then asked. "[And what exactly did they do?]"

Her head snapped to me with a frown. "[They tried to put… something on my wounds! Like hell I'm going to let them do that! What if it was poison?!]"

Even without seeing whatever they were trying to put on her, I knew it was _not_ poison. "That was probably an ointment or cream to stop any infection from getting into the wound." Explained Summer. "I don't think anyone here wants to poison you. I think you scare them too much to try that anyways."

She stared at Summer for a moment before scoffing. "[Good. I rather have them scared of me than brave enough to try anything.]" And it followed by her childish attitude showing again. "[I am still not letting them put anything on me, even if it isn't poison.]"

I sighed but let it go. We weren't here for that. "[Well, in any case, that's not the reason I'm here. It's far more important than some cream. You and I need to talk about what happened back at the forest.]"

Her eyes widened and she stood up as quickly as she could, though she grunted when she tried to put weight on her back left leg. I turned my head to the side. Why was she so nervous suddenly? "[I, um… I can e-explain! We- I mean, _I_ didn't, um… know that, well, there was another Elder, and, that, um, he would try, to, you know, k-kill us!]"

Ooookay… wait, was she nervous because of what I told her before I left? Argh, damn it. "[Luna, listen…]"

I stepped closer but she took a step backwards. "[I-I know I messed up, but you ca- can't kill me over something like this!]"

I sighed and stepped closer just as her back hit the wall. "[Calm down, I'm not going to kill you!]"

"[I saw you transform into a human!]"

…

"[You are not going to kill me?]" "[You saw me transform into a human?]"

Oh, c'mon! Give me a break, life! I brought my wingarm to my faced and rubbed my templates. "[This just… ugh, why? Just… why me? I was so calm in my Steppes, Ancients why?]"

"So…" I looked up to Summer. "What did I miss?"

After I explained, Summer nodded with a frown. "Well, it's better that it was her than some random guy…"

"[Wait, so I wasn't hallucinating?]" Asked Luna. "[You _actually_ turned into a human?!]"

I looked at Summer and she looked at me. We both nodded and I held a finger to Luna. _'So, what do you think, should we tell her?'_

' _Why are you asking me? I'm your friend, but this secret is yours to keep. Plus, shouldn't you be asking Daur about this. You know, as_ his apprentice _?'_

' _I know, but he is not here and I still don't know if she is completely trustworthy.'_ I looked at Lune, who was staring at us, still not sure of what was going on. I turned back to Summer. _'Sure, with some time, maybe. But right now? While I owe her for keeping my sister alive, I'm not dumb enough to trust her just for that.'_

She shrugged. _'Well, if you want my opinion, then you should tell her. She already knows she saw_ something _, and lying to her will only lead to more mistrust. Telling her the truth will go a long way in her trusting you.'_

' _Alright, then.'_ With our discussion over, I turned back to Luna. "[We have been talking and we have decided to tell you the truth.]" She smiled but I stood straighter and made my posture more menacing. "[And since I owe for saving my sister, I won't threaten you over it, but this secret _cannot_ leave this room, understand? Not only because I'm trusting you to keep it, but because I won't be the only one affected if you open your mouth.]"

She rolled her eyes. "[Well, _duh_. Something like this _has_ to be important enough to even kill for it. I'm young, not stupid.]"

I smiled. Oh, you just make it so easy. "[Well, one doesn't exclude the other.]" She scoffed and looked away while I chuckled. "[Okay, enough of that. Do you promise to keep this secret?]"

She nodded. "[Hmm. Fine, I promise.]"

"[Alright. How do I begin?]" I wasn't going to tell her _everything_. Just enough to keep her curiosity at bay until Daur had finished with Midnight and Icharias. Then, we could decide if we told her the whole truth. "[Well, first of all, yes, I can transform into something _akin_ to a human. Closer to the Faunus of this world, honestly.]"

She hummed. "[Those were the humans with animal parts and all that, right?]" Well, there's more to them than that, but yes. I nodded and she smiled. "[Ha! They should be proud I remembered their name!]"

"[Well, proud or not, I still have a question. How did you notice? I thought that Elder had knocked you out cold.]"

She growled. "[I wish I could have gotten my claws over him. Good riddance, by the way.]" Her glare didn't disappear and I couldn't blame her. "[As for your question, I regained my consciousness and blacked out several times during your fight. I… didn't tell you because I feared that you would try to get rid off me, since I didn't manage to protect your sister. And, well, something that big _had_ to be important, right? So it was my way of keeping your claws away from my neck.]"

I didn't like it. But I must admit, it was clever of her. I may joke about what she does sometimes, but I stopped believing she was stupid quite a while ago. She may act high and mighty, but deep, _deep_ down, she is clever and has a good heart. Well, she's not a full jerk and let's leave it at that. "[I guess I can't blame you. So, what do you want to know?]"

"[Well, let's go with the obvious first.]" She took a deep breath. "[What and how?!]"

I snorted. Yup, there's the reaction I was expecting. "[Well, as you can tell, it's a transformation to a human body, while retaining my abilities. As for the how…]" Yeah, no. The Life Essence stays out of this until I talk with Dalamadur or Daros. "[I can't tell you, not yet.]"

"[Hmm. Less than what I was expecting, but…]" She glanced at me as she sat down again. "[For how long were you able to do it?]"

I sat down myself and Summer laid by my side, listening to what I was saying. "[A while after meeting you, and that's all you're getting.]" She glared at me but I shook my head. "[It doesn't depend on me telling you everything. If the rest decide that you can know about it, then I will tell you.]"

She raised an eyebrow. "[There are others that can… you know?]"

I nodded. "[I told you I wasn't going to be the only one affected if you talked more than necessary. And it's also why I'm not telling you all about this.]"

"[Psh. Fine.]" I waited for her curiosity to win, and not even a few seconds after, she addressed me again. "[Will… will I be able to…?]"

"[What? The mighty Lunastra is interested in being human?]" The mockery in my voice was clear, and before she could rant about how wrong I was, I raised a hand. "[Again, not my decision to make. Buuuuut, if you really want to, I can vouch for you.]"

That seemed to get her thinking. She may still not see humans as equals, she may never, honestly, but now she is interested in them, and she is learning to tolerate and live with them, mostly thanks to Ruby, Yang and Neo. After a few moments of internal debate, she turned to me. "[Wait a second. Why would you do that for me? You literally have no reason to help me.]"

"[That's where you are wrong.]" She looked at me, confused. "[I…]" I sighed. "[If it wasn't for you, my sister would probably be dead right now. Sure, she got pretty banged up,]" _'That's how you say it, right Summer? ''Yup.'_ "[but you managed to keep her alive. For that, I owe you, and if you want me to do this for you, I won't complain.]"

She stared in bewilderment at me, then to Summer, as if asking her if this was real, and Summer nodded. Then, the widest smile I had ever seen from her appeared on her face. "[Well, well, well. So the mighty Gore is at my mercy for one request, hmm? What if I wanted to beat you up just like you did when we first met?]"

I felt the skin under my feeler twitch, but contained myself. Ancients damn it, this was _not_ a good idea. "[If that's what you want]" Her eyes widened, not believing my words. "[I'll do anything for my family,]" I spared Summer a look, "[and my friends. But I have a very good feeling that's not what you want to do.]"

I smiled widely when she growled and turned around. I hope she accepts my deal. It was just one favor, and I wasn't willing to do anything extreme, but it's her to use. "[Fine.]" I was snapped from my thoughts and looked at her. "[I… I'm _just a bit_ interested, and knowing more would be… entertaining.]"

This time, my smile was more honest. "[I'm glad you accepted. When the… rest finish with what they are doing, I'll talk to them.]" Summer got up and we turned around. "[For now, rest. If you are more grumpy than usual, it will be too easy to tease you.]" She growled, but before we left, I turned around my head. "[And thank you, really. Not every Elder would have done what you did. I… may have misjudged you. You are good Elder.]"

Maybe I was imagining things, but I could swear her cheeks turned a shade of red before she twisted her head around. "[Uhhh! Ummm…! O-of course you mi-misjudged me! Now go, I'm g-going to sleep!]"

Hmm. What was up with her? Weird. Oh, well. Women.

"EJEM!" I looked at Summer, as she glared at me and put her hands on her hips

And I thought that through our link. Shiiiiit…

* * *

 **/ Summer P.O.V. /**

Daur shook his head. "The problems just keep coming…"

Daros, at the other side of him, agreed. He seemed far calmer about the whole situation than his friend. "Indeed." He smiled. "But the lass discovering the truth may be an opportunity, my friend."

Daur raised his eyebrow. "How?" I could tell that he was tired, mentally at least.

Daros leaned closer to the table. "Let' go over what we know and have to do, aye? While the betrayal of Kirin caught us by surprise and has left some… wounds, we must not linger on it. That bastard will get what's coming to him, but for now we must wait until Fatalis gathers the rest and the Keepers can reunite."

Icharias spoke. "So, with you two here, and leaving Kirin behind, he still has to reunite with other 3, right?"

"There lies the problem." Said Daur with a sigh. "Amatsu won't be difficult to find, as she always stays at her territory. But Alatreon is never in one same place for more than a couple of days, same goes for Ceadeus, with the added difficulty of him being an underwater, isolated Elder most of the time." He rubbed his temples and closed his eyes with a frown. "Not to mention that he needs to sneak away from the Guild's guards that keep watch over Schrade. Of course, he can't travel in his usual form: a White Fatalis in our world is not something that humans overlook, and being forced to find them and travel with them in human form…"

"So, we are talking about a world without our technology and transport, and just as big and dangerous as ours, though by the way you describe him, this 'Fatalis' is the bigger fish." I had the nagging feeling it wasn't going to be a two-day camping trip. "How long?" I asked.

Daur turned his head upwards, his eyes still closed. "Honestly, I can't be sure, but even if he gets extremely lucky, it will still take him 2 years at the very least."

Excluding the four that had been talking about this, everyone went wide-eyed at the news (except for Gore, for obvious reasons). Midnight intervened. "But with the guild more aggressive than ever, more than that for certain." Icharias laid a hand on her shoulder and she smiled back.

Losing an entire village, especially knowing the people inside so well, can leave someone devastated. Add betrayal to that, and well, you got the perfect Grimm beacon on place. Poor girl. Still, it surprised me that her friend had never shown his face around. He had never taken off his armor around us, and I don't think it's because of mistrust or anything like that. I mean, if he wants to keep the armor on, then fine, but I was starting to get curious.

Daros sent them a warm smile through his beard. "We know you are worried about your village, lass, you too, laddie, but you must listen to what he said. Fatalis isn't our leader for nothing." That left her even more disheartened if possible, but he wasn't finished. "However, lass, waiting several years to save your village is too much. Once everything has been settled here, we should think on how to rescue your friends."

A smile spread through her lips. "Really?"

This time, it was Daur who answered. "Though I don't like challenging the orders of Fatalis, Daros is right: if we leave your village for that long, there will be no one to rescue. But first thing first." He turned to Gore. "What to do with our fire Elder that knows more than necessary?"

"I… thInK We…" Gore grumbled and shook his head. He was getting better, though. "[Nope. Not used to it yet. I was saying that we should trust her.]" The room went silent and Daur gestured for him to continue. "[I know we haven't gotten along at first, but she seemed like she understood the gravity of the situation. And she has shown that she can be trusted. I don't say we stop keeping an eye on her, but if we tell her and let her train with us, we can make sure she isn't doing anything out of our sight and make sure she knows how to use her new body. Two hunters with one fireball.]"

Thank the Brother Gods for our link, else I couldn't make heads or tails of what he was saying. "Hmmm…" Daur eyed the other Keeper in the room. "Your thoughts?"

"Well, I was already planning on taking an apprentice, and right now I have two choices: Luna or your sister." He signaled to Gore. "My remaining time is short, after all."

Oh, wow. Today was bomb after bomb, wasn't it? Ozpin stepped up. "How long do you have?"

Looking around and noticing the faces of worry of everyone around, he let out a hearty laugh and waved his hand. "Oh, no, no, no! I still have several years ahead of me, maybe even outlive you, professor. Sorry I worried you, I was talking with the passage of time usual to Elders, which is much longer than a human's."

Everyone, except for Daur, who seemed to already know, breathed in relief. I may have only known him for a few hours, but he was very fun to be around with. "Anyway, Kirin has left an open spot anyways, and I think we all know who should take the rightful place." All eyes that knew what was going on turned to Midnight.

She looked around, and realization dawned on her. "M-me?! I- I don't know if I could. I'm not even an Elder!"

Daur smiled. "I don't think that matters, and if Fatalis was opposed to this, he would have spoken a _long_ time ago. There is still _one_ issue with that, however. Your lifespan, compared to ours, is short. You'd be forced to find a pupil in a short amount of time and train them."

"I think that's were we have an opportunity with Luna." Spoke Daros.

She looked disgusted at the mere thought. "You want me to train _her_? I mean, if you want her to know what we know, I'm fine with it, but I won't train her."

"Ha, ha, ha, ha! Worry not, lass. I was not asking you to train her." He shook his head. "No. My idea was for you to take Kirin's place while Daur and I train our new addition and Gore's sister. I will chose who will take my place while the other can act as an unofficial Keeper. If something happens to one of the Seven, she can take their place as an official one."

Daur hummed. "It is not unheard off that some Elder other than the Seven knows about our secrets, but they were always… dealt with or brought to our side."

"Well, this isn't much different, is it?" I asked. "Gore's sister can be trusted and I don't think Luna is a threat anymore. I wouldn't let my girls around her if I didn't think they were safe."

"Then it's settled. We will tell her the truth about us and the essence." Daur looked at the other Keeper, then at Gore. And while the last one's mouth couldn't be seen from under the helmet, I could tell he was mimicking the smiles of the other two. "Of course, she requires proper… introduction."

Daros booming laugh filled the room. "Ha, ha! Yes, just like old times!"

"[Summer, bring your camera. I want to have her face recorded for the rest of her life.]" Gore' tone was nothing short of mischievous, and I couldn't help but join in on the fun.

Showing my scroll to the three of them, I answered with a smile of my own. " _Way_ ahead of you, Gorey."

* * *

 **/ James Ironwood P.O.V. /**

I rubbed my eyes and steeled myself to continue through the paperwork. This was one of the very few things I envied of the lower ranked soldiers. While the amount of office work they had to do was almost minimal, the higher you went through the ranks, the more filled your own table became. Not only that, but if you weren't a high ranking officer, you would also need to deal with going of field missions quite often, seeing as how the threat of the Grimm was always on the horizon.

Not to mention that with the capture of the strange dragon, I was forced to attend many meetings with the Council. That also meant I had to make sure everything regarding the creature was going according to plan, by reading the reports sent by the scientific team and sorting through them. It also came with the added nuisance of dealing with scientists that wanted to be the ones to discover the secrets of the creature, and _only_ them. Which meant that organization between what were supposed to be working partners was almost zero, and all the reports from the individual workers showed it.

Some were even asking what others needed out of spite and hoping to stop each other as if it was a race! Couldn't they see that they were brought together to work _together_?!

So when someone knocked on my door, I was almost relieved at hoping there would be a small respite. "Come in."

The door opened and a young boy, who I knew had recently enlisted walked in with a nervous step and with a stutter in his voice. "C-commander Ironwood, sir!"

"At ease, soldier." My words seemed to calm the boy down, but I was curious as why he was here. "What do you need, soldier?"

"Um, I was asked by the Council to give you this letter, sir." Ah, so another delivery boy for the Council. Not that the council had called him directly, obviously, but if there was a matter of delivering something to an officer of the military, the ones in charged tended to throw the message down the chain of command until it was one of the unranked soldiers who ended up delivering the message.

He handed me the envelope and opened it while he spoke. "T-there is also some people that wish to meet with you. They are from Vale, sir."

I took the letter from inside and started reading. "And who are… these… people…" I had to stop myself from speaking as read over and over the letter that I had in my hands. With a quick movement, I reached for the remote and turned on the TV on the office, making the boy turn to it as I changed channel until I found the one I was searching for.

It was one of the various channels dedicated to the news around Remnant only. "… with the disappearance of the storm threatening Atlas, people of the kingdom may once more rest calmly. Onto another news. The investigation of the Council upon the high ranking officers of Atlas has finally reached its conclusion."

The other reporter followed where his friend had left. "Indeed. If you have been living under a rock or have just arrived on Atlas, let us catch you up to speed. Several months ago, the Council commenced an investigation on the high spheres of the military of Atlas. It had been discovered that some of the slavery rings going on in Remnant had been able to escape justice with the help of a person or group from the military of our kingdom."

The other reporter nodded. "At first, the investigation seemed to be stuck, but there were some mayor breakthroughs once our police force managed to capture the head of one of the rings. A couple of months later, the police and the Council managed to reduce the suspects and, today, the traitor within the ranks has been caught."

A new window on the screen appeared and showed live footage of the police force and the military police arresting none other than the headmaster of Atlas academy, one that I considered a friend and mentor throughout my years in the military. A veteran and highly respected man, now turned criminal. How? "Turns out, the headmaster of Atlas academy, General Orchid, was one of the few officers that protected the traffickers. Substantial evidence has been found on his computer and on his home. Unfortunately, he is not the only officer that this operation has discovered to be dealing with the traffickers, but he was the one that lead the other traitors. Right now, the Council is speaking on who will succeed the man on the position of headmaster _and_ general of the Atlas army. There have been no news on that regard for now but we expect to hear…"

I turned off the TV and brought my mechanical arm to my face. They were wrong, the Council had _already_ decided who should be in the vacant position. This… was a lot to take in. My eyes roamed the room until they landed on the bottle of whisky and the glasses I had in case any important guest showed, like Jacques. I snapped out of it when the boy regarded me. "Are you alright, sir?"

I gave the alcohol one last look but decided against it in the end. It wouldn't help in the long run. I showed the letter to him. Not as if it would remain private for long anyway. "See for yourself, soldier."

He took it in his hands and read carefully. His eyes widened and he smiled towards me. "C-congratulations, sir! I think I speak for everyone when I say we will miss you, but wish you the best of luck, sir!"

That put a small smile on my face. He may not have been under my command for long, but I was glad to hear that my men respected me, even if I already knew it from their own words. "Thank you, soldier." I still didn't want to think about what my old mentor had done, and that very though wiped the smile off.

The boy seemed to notice. It was well known that, while it had been a while since we had talked to each other, General Orchid and I were good friends. "Oh, I… um…"

"There is no need for words, soldier." I told him. "He has committed unforgivable crimes and now he will pay the price. That is all." He nodded and I regarded him once more. "You also said there were some people from Vale that wanted to see me."

"Yes, sir! They haven't given me their names, but they have clearance from the Council to be here. I believe it's rather important, sir." He mused for a second. "They said something about… about talking with you regarding… how did he say it… ah, yes! Something regarding 'what you brought back from the storm'?" That made me stand up straight and raise from my chair. "If I may ask, sir, what is it that they are talking about?"

"That is classified, soldier. Only for me and the crew of the _Tide of Steel_ to know." He nodded, understanding the situation. "Where are they right now?"

"In the main waiting room, sir." I nodded and dismissed him. Whoever they are, they shouldn't know anything about what we encountered in the storm. And for some reason, the other creature had vanished after we managed to barely deal with the dragon-like one. For now, no sightings of anything that looked like it were reported. It was lucky, or unlucky, depending on the point at which you look at it.

I straightened my coat and regarded myself on the mirror. I hadn't had the time to shave since returning from the mission, and it showed, but it would have to wait. To a small dismay of mine, some white hairs were starting to show. I wasn't ashamed of them nor was I going to hide them, but no man or woman liked looking in the mirror and find they were growing old.

Though I prefer the term 'experienced'.

I walked out of the room and headed towards where the guests from Vale were supposed to be. My thoughts roamed to the new rank and the position of headmaster that came with it. I don't know if I am prepared to lead the academy, but I couldn't turn down an opportunity like this. It would be better if I asked for advice to the other three headmasters, as they would know best on how to keep the academy running forward. Also, I definitely have to talk to the teachers and see what needs to be done. We are in the middle of a school year and I would be forced to take my position very soon, even if I was officially named a general afterwards.

Though I admit I have been keeping an eye on potential candidates for the Specialist program. Especially, the eldest daughter of my friend, Winter Schnee, has shown great promise, even if she is only 13 years old. Her sister, Weiss, has just started preparing with some of the best instructors, or so I heard. Every time I visited the manor, those two seemed to be very close, and if she was as talented as her sister, I would welcome her with open arms if she followed on her footsteps.

Before I realized it, I had arrived at the room. It was actually the entrance to the building, spacious enough to hold a large committee from each of the other kingdoms if they ever visited Atlas. Several paintings that represented victories and great men and women from the story of Atlas, some even dating to the Great War. There was even one that showed the four kingdoms at the island of Vytal, signing the treaty, with the great king of Vale at front.

And it wasn't hard to find the only two other people in the room that weren't the receptionist. They seemed to be looking at the main painting, the one of the Vytal treaty, with their backs turned to me. But even then I could tell several things from just a glance: the one on the right I had seen before, though only in a couple of the kingdoms events and charity parties. He was the headmaster of Beacon, Ozpin, easy to identify by his trademark cane and white hair, with an overall green color to his clothes that gave him the appearance of a wise yet approachable person.

By his side was the tallest Faunus I had ever seen. And by the looks of his armor, he was clearly a huntsmen: the main tone seemed to be silver in the form of scales, with several black spikes going down the armor until they reached what I could only describe as the most menacing reptilian tail I had ever seen, which waved slowly on the ground, the two spines on the end almost scratching the ground. The only part of him that wasn't covered in armor was his head, and I could only see the short, completely white hair on it. Unlike the headmaster's one, which was more of a soft silver tone, the Faunus' one was almost shinning white.

I approached them and managed to hear the last part of their conversation. "…with the treaty marking the long peace we have maintained for seventy years."

The Faunus nodded. "Impressive…"

The headmaster heard my approach and turned around with a smile. "Ah, you must be Commander Ironwood. Well, General now."

I raised an eyebrow. "That information is not official yet. How do you know?"

His smile became just a tad bit wider and a glint appeared in his eyes for a second. "That's not important right now. Even if we have seen each other before, allow me to introduce myself formally. I am professor Ozpin, headmaster of Beacon academy." He turned to his companion who kept a straight face, looking directly at me. It was at this moment that I noticed his eyes were snake like, with a red iris and vertical black pupils. "And this is my friend, Daur."

The Faunus extended his hand, which was also covered in armor. I grasped it and I could almost feel the servos in my arm crack at his strength. "It is a pleasure, general."

I nodded and Ozpin continued. "Well, I am sure that with your new rank and position, you are a very busy man, so allow me to go straight to the point."

My eyes turned to him and I showed a small glare. "Like how you know confidential information about me and my crew, and what we did on that storm?"

"Precisely." Answered the man. His face turned serious, as if a switch had been flipped on the man. "You may find it surprising, but you are not the first one to encounter these creatures." That send alarms through my head. There were more? The one we fought was on par with some of the most powerful Grimm ever encountered. If there were others like it, Remnant may face a serious threat. "However, we have already planned on how to deal with them. And the ones that may come."

I crossed my arms. "And what plan would that be?"

He looked at the Faunus, Daur, and nodded. He was lucky that they hadn't encountered some of the officials here. Atlas was still not too friendly with the Faunus, something that I was rather ashamed of. "My friend here would like to see the one that you have imprisoned, but first," he stepped closer and stood straight,

"have you heard about project S.A.C.R.E.D.?"

* * *

 **A.N.: this chapter is mostly the aftermath of the previous ones. And before anyone says anything, I know Zorah is supposedly at the end of his life in MHW, but I decided to give him more time in here. Introducing a character just to make it die, or kill it right away, doesn't sit well for me. But he is fully aware of that and that he needs to leave a Keeper to take his place when he is gone.**

 **And no, Maggie is not the final name, but Gore knows that that name it's the one he will use to tease his sister.**

 **On the story, the group decides to give a bit more trust to Luna, but she doesn't know about all of it just yet. And the change in P.O.V. to Ironwood does have a few days in between. As for the arrest of the headmaster, I had something planned ever since the encounter with Raven in the slaver's base, and it has something to do with that, even if the leader was killed there. And you do not know how much I wanted to call it project Monarch, but that would be straight rip off.**

 **And yes, you will get to know what Ozpin and Daur have planned with that project.**

* * *

 **Omake: MK, part 3**

Summer vs D'Vorah

Summer: Ah, bugs!

D'Vorah: Are you scared of This One, little thing?

Summer, shuddering: No, just disgusted.

(-)

Summer: Let me guess, you eat your unlucky victims.

D'Vorah: How did you guess?

Summer, rolling her eyes: Oh, I don't know, Miss Obvious name.

(-)

D'Vorah: Your presence is a threat to the Hive.

Summer: Admit it, you just don't like me.

D'Vorah: This One doesn't like humans at all.

{{-}}

Summer vs Johnny Cage

Summer: Umm, I don't suppose you've seen a tall, dark and scary armored guy?

Johnny Cage: You mean mister 'I'll beat you up with my black fog until I get what I want'? Yeah, I've seen him… close.

Summer, sighing: Yup, Gore alright.

(-)

Summer: So, are you an actor or a fighter?

Johnny Cage: I'm double-trouble, sweetheart.

Summer: Ugh. You're worse than Qrow when he is drunk.

(-)

Johnny Cage: You know, you are very different to your friend.

Summer, snickering: Yeah, I'm the kinder of the two, and he's the more violent one. Is a thing we have going.

Johnny Cage: Hey, when things work, why change them?

{{-}}

Summer vs Shang Tsung

Summer, glaring: I will not allow you to toy with souls as if they were your playthings.

Shang Tsung: Many have tried to stop me, yet I still live.

Summer: Then you've had really bad luck crossing paths with me.

(-)

Shang Tsung: Your usage of your soul is intriguing.

Summer: It's called Aura, you dumbass.

Shang Tsung: Interesting. Tell me more.

(-)

Shang Tsung: I will take your soul and your secrets.

Summer: Try it, and you'll meet the pointy ends of Rose and Thorn.

Shang Tsung: Bravery and foolishness always go hand by hand.

{{-}}

Summer vs Cetrion

Summer: Settling the people of this land into endless war is not right.

Cetrion: I do what I must to bring balance.

Summer: War is _not_ balance.

(-)

Summer: If you are the representation of all good, then why are you doing this?

Cetrion: My mother's wishes must be fulfilled. No matter the cost.

Summer: A true mother would never force something like this to their children.

(-)

Cetrion: Your sense of right and wrong is flawed.

Summer: If mine is flawed, yours is completely broken.

Cetrion, glaring: Your little human mind cannot understand the designs of Gods.

{{-}}

Summer vs Kronika

Summer: I've seen some bad mothers, but you take the cake.

Kronika: Is it wrong that I wish for my child to come back?

Summer: You should have never let him do what he did, to begin with.

(-)

Kronika: If you help me, I will rid your world of Salem and the Grimm.

Summer: And doom this one to eternal suffering? I'll pass.

Kronika: This is not an offer you can refuse.

(-)

Kronika: Without my help, your world will fall into darkness.

Summer: We can handle ourselves just fine.

Kronika: It doesn't matter how many dragons interfere with the timeline, the fate will remain the same.

{{-}} {{-}}

Fatalities

 **White Rose's Blossom:** Summer transforms her weapons into their scythe form and begins teleporting from one side of their opponent to the other several times, making cuts appear all over their body, with the two final movements cutting off their arms. She ends up in front of them and stabs her scythe on their chest before pulling upwards and ripping the head of her opponent off. She finishes it by waiting for the head to fall from the sky and cuts it in half, with the stage filled with white petals.

 **Off with their heads!:** while her opponent is trying to keep their footing, Summer slashes at their stomach with her weapon, making a wound where organs start falling out slowly. Not finished, Summer slashes at their neck. She takes a couple of steps back, her opponent not knowing which wound to cover, and she charges at them, jumping at the last second and kicking their head off.

* * *

 **Reviews!**

 **Omnisaurus: let's piss the Elder that is able to end an entire ecosystem, I'm sure that will end up perfectly!**

 **Knightwolf1875: eh, maybe in the future. I'm more of a bad guy person, so I like writing and imagining how they would act and change in different environments. For now, the show must go on!**

 **proiu: glad you liked it. And many, many thanks.**

 **darkvampirekisses: fresh Nergi parts for everyone! *hunters amass and try to take what they can* Hmm, not bad name choices, but I'm still not sure which one I will use.**

 **BurningTigrex FinalNargacuga: 1) People seem to like it, so I think it will remain even if it's not the final one. 2) Here you have it.**

 **RabidArmenian: glad you like it, and yeah, teasing someone about that is** _ **not**_ **the brightest idea. And they are already making moves. As for my family, things will calm down eventually, so I'm okay. No! Bad Mabel, bad! Leave that egg alone!**

 **Dracus6: maybe in the future. I'm a fan of both, so I wouldn't say no if the idea came to mind.**

 **Therealvahl: R.I.P. indeed. But don't worry. He's not the** _ **only**_ **Nergigante in the world…**

 **Raptorex: well, he is fighting an** _ **extremely angered**_ **Gore, and he is not precisely known to show mercy. I watched the video, and it is amazing. I think somebody PMd me once, saying something about real life actors voicing the characters. I like the idea but since most of the movies I watch are in Spanish, I don't hear the same voice than English people do, so I can't tell which actor could voice each of them. Recommendations?**

 **Limbo: while I appreciate the Tl;dr, it wasn't necessary. I would have read the entire comment anyways. Now, I'll** _ **try**_ **to keep this brief. Sorry if you don't liked the fight and how it went, I'm not a professional, and I'm learning. I welcome the criticism, though, and I'm glad you were respectful about it. As I said, I'm learning and will make mistakes, but I do try my best, and seeing as how the majority of the readers liked the fight, I don't see it as a mistake on my part. Nevertheless, I have read your comment and taken your opinion into account.**

 **Guest: it will be explained later.**

 **Guest: oh, he is alive, for now. It is an opportunity for Atlas to advance their technology even more, so why waste it by killing the only specimen they have captured?**

 **Well, that's all for today. This may be the last MK omake for a while, but I'm still not sure.**

 **Have a great day!**


	26. Chapter 24: Day that follows night

**A.N.: hello there! Now, you will notice this chapter is shorter than usual. Well, that's because it was surprisingly hard to write. I just didn't feel to motivated this week, and I honestly don't know why. Anyways, if this keeps up next week, I may take a rest of a couple of weeks after that chapter. I rather wait and regain my motivation than push out badly written chapters. You guys deserve better than that.**

 **Enough chit chat! Enjoy!**

* * *

 **Black Dragon, White Rose**

 **Chapter 24**

 **Day that follows night**

 **/ Summer P.O.V. /**

Breathe in, breathe out, Summer. Don't let this get to you. Remain calm…

"[Hey, sis, catch!]" "Weee!" "Me next, me next!"

As Ruby flew through the air, my eye twitched. Part of me wanted to stop this right now and check if Ruby and Yang were okay. The other wanted to skin alive the several dragons that were on my backyard. Still, I looked around the backyard for the last person that was missing. There was Gore and her sister, passing Ruby and Yang through the air, with Luna joining in. Midnight had decided to train with the trees around the house, which now left several downed all around the backyard, with Icharias just by her side. Just where in all Remnant was-?

I turned to my right and saw Neo, sitting on the porch with her hoodie and Zwei by her side. She turned her head to me and gave me the most innocent, heartwarming smile that she could. Complete with her calm manner in the middle of the eye of the storm, as if nothing around her had anything to do with her.

Oh, now I just know this was her idea. For not being able to talk, she is quite the troublemaker.

I took a deep breath just as Tai came out of the house. "Hey, Sum, calm down. The girls are having fun and Gore wouldn't let anything happen to them."

He was right. I just needed to calm down and-

"Higher, higher!" My eyes widened when Ruby was thrown up in the sky, her laugh echoing as she went further up and then began to descend. Acting on instinct, I ran as fast as I could and used Gore's head as a springboard along my Semblance to catch Ruby and land with her safe. She kept laughing and then looked at me. "That was awesome, mom! Let's do it again!"

I smiled at her. "Ruby, why don't you and Yang go inside? I'm sure dad gas some cookies for you." Her eyes widened and she jumped off my arms. She immediately followed by grabbing Yang by the arm and pulling her towards the house, when she stopped to pick Neo, I stopped her. "No, sweetheart, Neo stays. I need to talk with her."

Ruby nodded and proceeded inside, while Neo stood stock still, looking at me with terror. Oh yes, little woman, I know it was you. The moment the door closed behind them and Tai, I walked calmly towards Neo, with the clear in complete silence. I was smiling through all of it, even when I pinched her ear and started pulling her towards where the rest of the group was.

Everyone was looking at me while I kept smiling, and those that knew me already know what was going to happen. That's okay. It wasn't going to save them. "So, over the past few days, my family has been acting as host for all of you, whether you actually sleep here or not. I'm okay with that. You are my friends and I love having you around. But I'm afraid we are going to have to lay some ground rules."

"Because it would seem none of you understand that you are living in _my_ house." I looked at Gore. "You've been causing trouble for a while, like, for example, throwing my daughter to the air high enough to actually hurt her if someone didn't catch her." He looked away and I turned to Midnight. "Or destroying the entire forest around our house for practice, when you could go to Signal and train there." I continued with Luna. "Some of you even think it's entertaining to use fire in the _middle of a forest_ with a _wooden_ house right beside you."

I finally aimed my sights on Neo and her partner in crime, both of them looking absolutely terrified. "And don't get me started on the two masterminds behind most of all the 'accidents' that end up occurring." Neo gulped. I love her as much as my other two daughters, but she needs to understand that she can't go around doing whatever she wants.

I clapped my hands and everyone in the clearing shook a little. "So seeing as how Daur and Ozpin won't be back from Atlas in a few days, I'm going to be making a few changes round here." I pointed at Neo. "Since you already have your Aura unlocked but haven't gotten into Signal, we will start your training tomorrow, and it _won't_ be easy."

"And for the rest of you," there was a silence in the clearing that told everyone I wasn't happy, "we are going to build a house."

The silence remained for a while as everyone took in what I just said. _'A… house?'_

"Yes! Since most of you are able to transform into humans, you will help me build a second house right there." I pointed at the other side of the clear space. Before they came here, it was big enough for two or three people to spar. Now it had the space of several times our house. "Unless you want to remain like this, in which case I will use all of you as training dummies with real weapons."

Everyone shook their heads and several 'no' could be heard. I smiled a little wider. "Good. I knew you would all come to reason. In fact, you are going to begin now." I walked closer to Midnight and Icharias, and while the latter seemed to be the calmer of the two, Midnight was letting a tense laugh as I approached. "And since you two like the trees so much, you both will start pilled all the ones that you've cut down. Don't worry, you'll get to cut more in the future."

I knew Midnight was strong, but I also knew that her power resided on her speed and agility, and these trees weren't precisely light. I stepped closer to Luna, and while she acted like if I wasn't even there, I pumped my Aura through my arm and grabbed her by one of the crest and pulling her close to my face. "And if I see _one single spark_ coming from you, I will drag you myself to the ocean and throw you inside, clear?"

She nodded quickly and I released her. Finally, I walked towards Gore as he didn't move and inch. Shame my vision's not based on movement. "And Gore?"

' _Y- yes, Summer?'_

I patted him a couple times on the head. "Why don't you take your sister away with you before I lose what I little I still have of patience and start doing things the two of us will regret?" He should be thanking Qrow as he took Mabel and Alma to show them Patch, probably the bars, because if it turned out to be more people here…

He nodded and I stepped away towards the house. "Glad we could have this talk. Come on, Neo. We need to pick up the practice weapons." Before I entered the house, followed by my mischievous daughter, I turned around. "And Gore, don't forget we have to finish your weapon sooner rather than later."

I was honestly excited about the weapon. It had been coming along slowly, with the recent events, but now that we had more time, I planned on finishing it. When Icharias heard of what had happened in their absence, he suggested that we use the materials and parts from the Elder Dragon that Gore killed to improve the weapon. While I didn't feel any sort of respect to the one that had tried to kill my friends, I still wasn't too sure about doing it. It gave me shivers.

But Gore was actually thinking about it. I mean, it was his weapon, but I simply didn't feel right. Especially since I knew he wanted to use it as a sort of sick joke, a remainder and a threat. The first was to humiliate him even after dead, the second to remember that he would always protect those he cared about, which I respected, and the third as a threat to anyone that tried to harm him or his loved ones. I wasn't going to stop him if he wanted, but I guess it was a bit too dark for me.

In any case, I reached my room, with Neo following me, and entered it. She stood at the door, still rubbing her ear while I picked my weapon from the working table. Her eyes widened and I let out a small laugh. "Don't worry. I'm not going to be using this against you. I just want you to use it as a way to get used to the weight of different weapons."

She sighed and I walked close to her. I rested a hand on her shoulder and lowered to her height, with a smile on my face. "Whatever happens, I promise you I will never harm you. Sure, I might get angry at your antics," she rubbed her arm and looked away, but I turned her face back to me, "but I will _never_ go back on my promise of keeping you safe. You are my daughter, and I will never allow you to suffer as you did."

Her eyes watered and she launched herself into a hug, which I responded in kind. We stayed like that for a few moments before she stepped back and wiped her tears. "That being said, you can't do whatever you want around the house, and as your mother, is my responsibility to educate you, and if necessary, punish you. So today your training is going to be _extremely difficult._ "

She gulped and started making sings but I stopped. "It's too late for apologies, young lady." I said in a stern tone. "Now, go to the shed and pick up the weapons there. With Gore and his sister away, we will have enough space. Oh, and no use of your Semblance." That made her flinch. "You need to learn to fight without it."

She continued on her way while I gave my weapon a look over. I had taken on a couple of requests around the island to keep myself sharp, but even if I checked and fixed Petal and Thorn after every mission, it never hurt to make sure I hadn't left anything behind. With my worries put to rest, I walked down the stairs and out to the yard, and found out that they had taken my words seriously: Mid and Icharias were moving the logs and trees as best as they could, with Luna _actually helping_ (now _that's_ a surprise), and Gore talking with her sister about leaving.

I smiled and left my weapons on the porch, while I approached him. "Hey, Gore!" They both turned to me. "So, where are you going?"

' _Well, we are going to finish what we started the other day.'_ His expression turned sour. _'This time, with no interruptions.'_

"Oh, that's great! I can't wait to see how it turns out!"

He smiled to his sister. _'For our sake, let's hope that nothing goes wrong. And, if you want, when we return, we can think for a name for you, hmm?'_

She thought about it for a moment before nodding. "Alright! Well, I'm going to be training Neo. Since she didn't enter Signal, she needs someone to teach her. And while I'm sure she likes the idea of following her sisters in becoming huntresses, I don't know if she will behave at prep-school."

Gore shrugged. _'I stand by what I told you all that time ago. If you train her, she will be an amazing huntress.'_ His words warmed my heart, and I could tell he was being serious.

In fact, I did turn a bit red. "Oh, stop it, you!" I said while waving my hand. "I'm a good huntress, but I'm not that good of a teacher."

' _You'll see that I am right.'_ He nodded to her sister and she began flying upwards, forcing me to cover my face from the dirt and leaves coming my way. _'Good luck with Neo, Summer.'_

"Same to you, Gore." I stepped forward and hugged his head for a moment before letting him fly away. Just in time for Neo to come from the shack with several training weapons on her arms. She was wobbling from side to side due to the weight. It was clear that even if she had Aura, she didn't know how to properly use it. Before she fell, I appeared beside her and caught her. "You could've asked me fore help, you know?"

I took the weapons off her and I saw her rub her arm nervously from the corner of my eye. Putting the weapons down beside my own, I turned to her with my hands on my hips. "Alright! First day of Summer's official huntress training TM is a go!" She snickered. "First of all is learning to use a weapon. While you will normally have your Aura and Semblance to help you, that will not always be the case. If you learn to use a weapon as an extension of yourself, you will not overly rely on your Aura or Semblance, which has got many huntsmen killed."

She listened intently, even when I turned around. "With that said, we can't neglect those two either. But first things first." I began putting the training weapons one beside the other: two simple daggers, a short-sword and a long-sword, a bow, a lance and a halberd, and a simple gun, with a few dust-less cartridges. All of them were resistant, but relatively dull and not very heavy. In all honesty, my scythe was the heaviest weapon in team STRQ, and it wasn't too heavy.

And while there were many more kinds of weapons, we could always request a couple from Beacon or Signal. "Okay, since you don't have any kind of training, we're going to start by the basics. Pick one." She stood by my side and began looking through them. Her hands reached for the short sword and nodded to me. "Good. Remember, you don't need to stick with that weapon if you don't like it. Come, let's stretch before we begin."

While Aura healed any injuries, it was better to prepare the body before any exercise rather than hurt yourself in the middle of training and wait for your Aura to heal it. The rest had finished moving the logs and were watching us while we began. Even if poor Neo was already a bit exhausted from all the running we had done around the house. "C'mon, Neo. We haven't even begun! And I'm not letting you drop out of this one!"

She huffed but sent me a determined look and raised her weapon. "That's the spirit, though not the posture!" I walked to her and corrected her entire body. "Back straight, knees bent and feet apart from each other. Good. Now, you can put the weapon in any position you are comfortable with, as long as it remains between the enemy and you."

We kept training for a few hours, teaching her the basics with little combat so to speak of. But it was almost as if a switch had been flipped. She was usually mischievous and a certified prankster, but she took what we were doing very seriously, and absorbed the information like a sponge. By the time we ended, she was lying on the floor, gasping for air. While we hadn't used the weapons too much, she still needed to get fit for the job, and that meant more running and more exercises.

I walked close to her, sweating but still with energy, and looked down as she recovered her breath. "I think that's enough for today. Go inside and take a warm shower, it'll help you relax." She looked at me and raised an arm weakly, but dropped it a moment later with a tired sigh. "Or you can lie down here for a while. But I want you cleaned up before lunch, alright?"

She nodded lightly and I let out a snicker. "You've done great today, sweetheart. It's going to take a while, but if you keep up, you'll be an amazing huntress in no time."

She smiled and extended a hand. I moved in front of her and took it, helping Neo to her feet. As she moved inside, I turned to the people that had been watching us train. "Don't you all have something better to do?"

They looked at each other and shook their heads. Luna said something I didn't understand until Midnight translated for me. "She said that since you ruined her fun, she's just going to laze around as always." Luna growled but Midnight dismissed her. "Okay, maybe not those exact words, but close enough. We just moved the wood to where you said and decided to take a rest. We are still waiting for Daros to come and see if we ourselves can train a bit."

As if by destiny itself, my scroll buzzed and I picked it up. It was a picture sent by Qrow. In one of the bars of Patch, of course. The thing was that, apart from Mabel and Alma, the picture also showed a familiar long-bearded, bald face. "I think you aren't going to get the chance."

I passed them the scroll and watched as her expression turned from curious to absolute deadpan. I could tell that Icharias was the same, even behind the helmet. I smiled at their faces and resisted a laugh that tried to escape. She sighed and handed my scroll back. "I guess we will have to train by ourselves. Not the first time, but…" She turned to him. "I rather use my normal form. I feel like I need to transform and let out some energy."

"Ehem!"

She turned to me and nodded. "R-right, not here. We'll, um, go deeper into the island."

I nodded and went inside to help Tai with the girls. Someone needed to keep an eye on them while lunch was being made. Luckily, with so many years of experience, it's not hard to get them to stay away from the kitchen while one of us cooks. It wasn't that we didn't let them see or help, but sometimes they could be a bit too… energetic.

As I entered the house and watched the girls ask Neo how was the training, a thought appeared in my head.

How was Gore doing with his sister?

* * *

 **/ Gore P.O.V. /**

It was finally the moment. And this time, I would make sure there would be _no interruptions_. My sister was ready, and she had to take this chance. I don't know what made her change: maybe it was the new world, maybe getting to be friends with Summer and the rest, I don't know. And honestly, at this point, I didn't care. I just wanted my sister to recover, for the pain she has been going through to stop. She couldn't back down now, for her own sake.

We flew over to the mainland. It was for precaution mostly, since I didn't know if she would end up expanding the Virus when she Ascended, and doing it on Patch was a risk none of us wanted to take. Thus, we flew past Vale and deeper inside the continent. There were no villages and towns close by. Honestly, the closest settlement was some Mount Plenn or Glenn or something like that, and it had been completely overrun by Grimm several years before we even arrived here, so it didn't matter.

After flying for a while, we landed on a clearing close to the mountains. Surprisingly enough, several Grimm from a cave nearby came out to fight us. It was pretty convenient at first when we discovered they didn't leave any blood or smell, but it was starting to get annoying, especially when we wanted a snack and couldn't use them. With the small nuisance dealt with (I got one of their damned bone spikes stuck between my teeth until it disappeared!), I told her to wait and started expanding my Virus.

I wanted to make sure there were no humans were around. There were some small animals running around, with the more aware ones already running away from us. Eh, they didn't matter. I wouldn't mind if that stupid fur ball got caught in the Virus, but Ruby and Yang would surely cry and it would earn me a mouthful from Summer. And for such small children, these two have very potent lungs, especially Ruby. My ears rang for hours after she cried her lungs off over something I can't even remember. Luckily, she doesn't cry often.

Thank the Ancients for small miracles.

With the surroundings clear, I turned to my sister. "[Okay. We can begin whenever you are ready.]" I could tell that she was afraid. This wasn't the first time we tried, and all the times before this ended up in her quitting because of the pain. This time, though, it would be different. "[C'mon, sis. I'll stay by your side through all of it. And whatever happens, I'll make sure you come out of it alive and good.]"

I wasn't expecting her to growl and look away. "[I… am not… helpless, brother. I… can… take care… of myself.]"

Where the hell was this coming from? "[Sis, what are you talking about? I'm just trying to help.]"

"[I don't need it!]" What had gotten into her so suddenly?! "[I… have to… do this on… my own.]" She calmed down a bit and looked at the ground. "[I can't depend… on you… always.]"

…

"[Really?]" She looked at me surprised, not expecting that reaction. "[You are going to be proud _now_ of all the fucking times?!]" She shook her head. "[Then what is it?! Because I can't think of any other reason-]"

"[I want… you to be… happy!]" She shouted back, surprising me. "[I don't… want you to… always have to… look after me. I… won't… weight you down.]"

Wow. This… this is even more stupid than fucking Elder pride! "[Do you really think that I see you as a weight? You are _my_ sister, _my_ family, and just as you would do anything for me, I will do anything for you. Because that what's friends and family are for: to help and support each other.]" I slowly stepped closer to her. "[I will never consider you a weight.]"

I ended up right in front of her. "[And do you really think so lowly of yourself?]" She didn't argue, and I had enough. "[Fine]" I turned around and left her surprised. "[Since you are so stubborn on this, have it your way.]" After I had taken a few steps away, I turned back to her. "[Stop talking and start acting! You want to prove to me that you aren't slowing me down?! Then no more useless excuses and get to it! Or are you really going to change my mind into seeing it _your_ way?]"

I know it sounded a bit cruel, but I know how my sister could be. She had a thick skull (I think it ran in the family) and sometimes, the best way to change her point of view was to make her see it herself, not by talking to her, but by pressing the right buttons and make her realize she was wrong. Luckily, she isn't in the same level as our brother. It was either his way or a fight. Thank goodness that she usually saw reason and helped me convince him.

And by convince, I mean beat him down until he relented between the two.

Back on the present, it seems that I managed to get through her. Having the most brains in the family goes a long way. In any case, she growled and closed her eye. Extending her wingarms to the ground, she held on as much as she could and focused. I couldn't tell much of how the process felt, since I hadn't done it myself, but I had seen my sister try enough times to understand that, in her actual state, it was extremely painful.

I watched from a distance as the Virus started to gather around her. She grunted a bit but kept going, and I could see how some of her black scales started to peel off completely, showing the brightly golden colored inside. She kept going, with more and more Virus gathering around her. I was afraid she would cause a storm like I did when angry, but it didn't reach that point. Though it almost felt like it from where I was standing.

The whole clear was covered in a black fog, leaving the entire place in almost complete darkness. The few animals that had remained were either running away or jumping at each others throats. I kept focused on my sister, and watched as she slowly but surely shed her outer skin. _'C'mon.'_ I thought. _'Just a bit more.'_

Almost as if hearing me, she growled loudly and roared with all her strength. "[SISTER!]" This had never happened before, and while I could still sense her with my feelers, I was completely blind and couldn't tell if she was alright. My concern grew, and just as I was about to jump in, she became silent and the Virus stopped moving, still covering everything around us in black and dark purple.

I could feel her, but she wasn't moving. I stepped closer. "[Sis…?]" A couple of steps more. "[Are you alright?]" Still no movement. "[Please, say something…]"

…

Nothing. Not a single sound could be heard except for my own breathing. Which was becoming steadily quicker. The Virus didn't vanish and I moved closer. I was only a few steps away when I noticed a slight tick of movement coming from where she was. I inched my head closer. Yes! She was moving, if only a few ticks here and there.

I was about to move closer when – "[Wooohooo!]" A literal yellow rocked launched upwards from right in front of me, and I let out a breath. The mist around the clearing became less dense and I could finally lay eyes upon her. She was flying around the clearing, doing loops and tricks much more fluently than ever. Her skin was completely golden except for a few darker scales. Her feelers were extended and I could see her eyes and head looking around wildly, enjoying the view.

It was a sight I never thought I would see. My sister, finally Ascended as a Shagaru Magala. I couldn't help but shed a tear. How could they go to my outer skin was a mystery, but hey, who cares right now?!

She made a few more rolls before coming closer and landing almost beside me. The Virus had almost dissipated by now, and I could see how ecstatic she was, even if she was panting. She kept looking around until her eyes landed on me. Her eyes widened and she launched herself at me, almost tackling me to the ground in a hug. She let me go soon after, regaining her breath. "[Gore, Gore, I can… I can…!]"

I smiled. "[Easy there, sis. Breathe. I know the world is beautiful and all that, but you need to take it slowly.]" Even if she had an eye, I knew she couldn't see very well through it, but now she was experiencing the same thing I did after Summer unlocked my Aura and Semblance. After a few seconds of breathing down, I spoke again. "[How are you feeling?]"

"[Great! The… pain is… is gone!]" She looked down with a furrowed brow. "[It's still… hard to speak.]"

"[Don't worry. I'm sure it will pass soon enough.]" My grin made her smile even more.

But her mood took a sudden turn. "[I'm sorry. You… were right and-]"

This again? I waved my hand. "[Yeah, yeah. I was right, as always. 'I told you so' and blah, blah, blah.]" She snorted as she heard me. "[I don't care. You just needed a little push, so I shoved you forward. You can thank me later.]" She pouted but I didn't pay her any mind. I extended my wings. "[Race you to the top of the mountain.]"

Her smile returned tenfold. "[You're on.]"

My sister was back. And I couldn't remove the smile plastered on my face for the rest of the day.

* * *

We enjoyed the remainder of the morning, even skipping lunch. Honestly, it quickly turned from a race to the mountain to a flight of loops and barrel rolls and all kinds of techniques, just to have fun. After reaching the mountain city, we decided it would be fun to kill some time: by killing Grimm. It was all pretty easy, toying with them, but I could tell that my sister was far more agile and strong. And her coordination was better than I had ever seen.

I was honestly surprised. The only other Shagaru we had ever seen had been my brother, and he had departed right after Ascending, so we didn't know how the process changed him. But now I could tell that it increased strength, speed, agility and coordination, apart from granting us eyesight. Her Virus also seemed far more powerful than before, and now she was in complete control over it, though she would still need to get a hold of it again.

I had to answer Summer on how we were doing, and I told her that everything had gone just as planned. She congratulated us and told me that she had been training with Neo, and that with a bit of work, she would make an amazing huntress. I guess everything went fine today. After the fiasco from last time, I think it was honestly time for something good to happen.

Wait, didn't humans have something express events like this? Karma? No wait, that's not it…

Ah, who cares?! My sis is back and stronger than ever. And We don't have to worry about her being hunted down, which is just a nice little extra.

While dealing with the Grimm on the ruins, I was surprised to hear Ozpin' voice in my head. _'Mr. Magala, a moment of your time, if you would?'_

I turned to my sister. "[I'm going to talk with Ozpin. You can have the rest.]" Her grin turned feral and I could hear the whimpers and screams of the Grimm as my sister had her fun. _'I'm here, Ozpin. If what you have to tell me are bad news, though, then spare it. I'm having a blast today and I won't let anything ruin it.'_

I could hear his chuckle from the other side, even if it was a bit faint because of the distance. _'Nothing like that, I assure you. I wouldn't want to ruin the mood you are in. No, they are simply… news.'_ There was a moment of silence before he continued. _'We are already on our trip back to Vale. I wanted to tell you that Daur and I have informed the headmaster of Atlas academy of your world and you, albeit partially.'_

' _Do you trust them?'_

Another moment of silence. _'Trust is a very strong word, but I am sure he won't speak about this.'_ Well, if Daur gave his approval, who am I to judge? I still don't like it too much. _'Apart from that, Daur has managed to have a chat with an Elder that Atlas has imprisoned. Not the most cooperative fellow, so he will remain chained for now. We also know that there is other roaming around, but as of now, it hasn't caused any trouble.'_

Okay, well, at least the first one was trapped. I turned to look at my sister, who had decided that an… Ursa? I don't know, it was bigger and now it was her chew toy. _'Anything else?'_

' _The general has also agreed to join forces with us under project S.A.C.R.E.D., though it took a bit of convincing to transport the one they had captured. I will also be speaking with the Council about the project, but I will handle that, don't worry.'_ He stayed silent for a few seconds before speaking again. _'Oh, I almost forgot. Daur says that when we arrive, he will grab Mr. Daros and you to 'give the first impression to Luna'. He said you should meet him at the northern end of Patch.'_

Now it was time for _my_ smile to turn wider. Well, well, well, so we are finally doing this. I have to tell Summer. _'Alright. We'll be there.'_ I felt a sense of acknowledgment from him and turned to my sister, who was finishing with the Grimm. "[Hey sis, I have news that will make today and tomorrow even better. Want go hear them?]"

Boy, if her grin was feral before, now it was full predatory smile.

* * *

 **A.N.: some of you may have noticed I made the Ascension a little more epic than in-game. I felt the scene needed more than just 'sheds skin, shines gold', so I added a bit of flare. Also, Neo begins training! And we will get to see Luna's expression next chapter, and we all know that Elders go big or go home!**

 **No omake this time. Sorry xd.**

 **Reviews!**

 **BurningTigrex FinalNargacuga: \\(•w•)/**

 **Omnisaurus: glad you liked it. About Lunastra, well, it was more of a dare. Someone kept saying that the Lunastra ending up being a yandere would be funny, I said not to try me. They dared me to do it and GOD DAMN IT NOBODY IS GOING TO CALL ME A COWARD. So we have a yandere Lunastra… ta daaaaaa~**

 **darkvampirekisses: annoying James it's what Qrow can do best. And you will see more about the project later. Hmm, maybe in a future I'll take you up on that request.**

 **Mh4life: oh, he'll meet his match, I assure you. As for the Silver Eyed warriors, there is a much darker origin related to their numbers in the MH world. I won't say what, though. And Gore sort of lightly teases everybody. He did it to her before the failed Ascension, and she to him, it's just that he didn't want to do that to her in the state she was.**

 **RabidArmenian: you shall never know~. Oh, and don't worry, Summer will have enough copies for everyone. Thanks. And you will see more of the project in the future.**

 **Omnisaurus: hmm, I don't think so. Too much mixing worlds and lore that I don't know.**

 **littleboyblack17: thank you, and yes, though it will take a while.**

 **OmegaUltima: thank you, and that moment may be closer than you expect.**

 **senselessgrinder: thank you, and I shall deliver when I have time and motivation. Which is usually often.**

 **Limbo: nah, don't worry. I can discern between constructive criticism and flaming. And yeah, obviously he is going to bite off more than he could chew later on. He's not Momonga from Overlord, he** _ **will**_ **lose, and it** _ **will**_ **hurt. I just didn't feel like that would be the right moment, but I understand what you say. Don't worry the time will come. After all, he has won every fight until now, and as a wise Count of Serenno once said: overconfidence will be your downfall.**

 **anthonym3: Neo is one of my favorite characters and I just feels that she deserves all the love in the world!**

 **I hope you enjoyed!**

 **Have a great day!**


	27. Chapter 25: New members

**A.N.: hello there! Me is sick! Yay! In the middle of my vacation, with a melting heat all day long and with a fever that is almost unbearable! In the words of a wise man:**

" **I want to** _ **fucking**_ _ **die**_ **."**

 **But leaving that pain aside, I decided that, since inspiration is not coming to me, I'm going to take a much needed break. How long? Probably till the second, with luck first, week of August. I know, I know, that's a lot of time, but I'm not feeling any good right now. Who knows? With luck, I feel better in the next couple of weeks or inspiration strikes me and I start writing sooner, but with this agonizing heat, it becomes quite annoying to write. Not to mention that I haven't had my head on the story because of some family issues.**

 **But to y'all, these are just a bunch of excuses. Just know that until August, you won't probably have another chapter.**

 **I whined long enough! Onto the story!**

* * *

 **Black Dragon, White Rose**

 **Chapter 25**

 **New members**

 **/ Guild handler P.O.V. /**

I stood in utter silence in the darkened room. I didn't want to be here, but going against the guild-master's orders… it was a death sentence. Before, the worst that could happen was losing your post and that was all. But now, going against them was basically having a death wish. I heard they even burnt an entire village to the ground simply because they were _suspected_ of harboring a monster in the place.

A couple of months ago, I would have said that that would be impossible. Humans protecting a monster? It was unthinkable! They are our worst enemies ever since humanity can remember. Why would anyone help them? But with the recent developments and the… discoveries we have made, now I don't know.

Especially when one of the other 'people' in this room was one of those monsters.

We had been in silence for what seemed like hours, and I just wanted to leave. The monster in front of me kept his eyes in a continual glare at me, and I felt like he could make me disappear at any second. And the presence of the third member of the room didn't help, even if I couldn't see him in the darkness.

The only light source of the small room was the small candle on the table between us, where I had my book and pencil on. I didn't even know why I had been called here! I was just organizing a few requests when two guards came and ordered me to follow them here on the guild-master's orders. On another time, I may have refused or told them to wait until I was finished, but the eyes of the guards spoke of consequences if I did, so I left what I was doing and followed them.

And so, here I am. Trapped in a dark room with my tyrannical boss and a monster in human form. I just wanted to go home…

Suddenly, the door opened, letting in the light from the torches in the corridor outside and a figure entered. By the armor, I could tell it was a hunter, but I couldn't dwell on it as the guild-master tapped on my book and then pointed at me. It was then that I understood what I was doing there. I nodded quickly and sat, opening my book and waiting with the pencil on my hand.

The oppressing silence continued until the guild-master, still covered in shadows, spoke. "Report."

Someone in the room gulped, and for a moment I thought it was me, but it wasn't. It was the hunter. "We arrived at the location of the ambush, and we were ready to perform as planned. We managed to get on the monster, but it broke the barrier and proceeded forward. Not wanting to lose our chance, Yashi and I decided to continue on as planned."

It was then that the monster spoke, with no flaws, as if he was a human himself. "But it's clear that the plan failed, else your partner would be here and in very different circumstances."

I kept writing everything as best as I could, but I could still notice that the hunter was just as nervous as me, if not more. "Y-yes, there were complications…" The hunter stopped for a moment, as if the next word was difficult for him to say. "…sir."

The guild-master intervened. "Explain."

He gulped and nodded slowly. "W-when we were on it's back, another Elder appeared. One of the hunters that were forced to come with us shouted it's name: Nergigante." I could see from the corner of my how the monster in human form flinched and his eyes widened for a moment, before returning to normal in the next second. "It landed on the Zorah and begun attacking us, we were forced to defend ourselves, but with the movement from our target and the attacks from the other, we were separated. I was left alone with the new dragon while my partner was sent away from an attack. The other two-"

I was trying my hardest to keep on with his nervous and quick speech, and just as I was about to give up, I heard him shut up and I looked up. The guild-master had raised his hand, making him stop. He then moved it and tapped on the book again. I could see his faint figure nod and I continued more calmly. When I finished catching up, I nodded back to him. "Continue."

During this, the hunter had taken off his helmet and sent me an apologetic look with his silver eyes. We were both nervous and I could relate. "Yes, sir. I was forced to work with the two hunters of the Fleet, but when I managed to get on the dragon's back, it flew away and I thought best to get rid off it so that Yashi could finish the mission."

A fist slammed on the table and I let out a small yelp before I could contain myself. "You used your power on it, didn't you?! You fool! With an Elder as big as Dar- as a Zorah Magdaros, you need two of your kind to send him away without repercussions!"

While his voice wasn't exactly booming, the monster carried the strength of a dozen of hunters to carry the meaning of his words. That is, until my boss intervened again. "Silence." The monster glared at him, but relented. When he found it sufficient, he addressed me. "Are you following?" I nodded quickly. He returned to the hunter. "Continue."

He left his helmet on the table and followed his orders. "After I stabbed the monster and finished the chant, I remember that I blacked out. Luckily, I managed to wake up before the monster and realized I was on a forest close to a mountain range."

The guild-master stopped him again and tapped at my book. "Note: the 'Phasing' is less taxing on a human than a monster." I didn't understand what he was saying. Honestly, none of this made sense. How did this guy end up in a forest after stabbing a sword? And how did he black out? There were so many questions, but I kept shut and wrote what I was told to as a footnote. When I finished, he took a look at it from the darkness and gestured for the hunter to continue.

And so he did. "I wanted to return, so I went to dislodge the sword from the monster. But the moment that I did, the creature snapped back alive and I was threw aside. I was ready to fight but…"

"But what?" Asked in the monster in an annoyed tone.

The hunter sent him a glare but relented right after and continued. "The monster was about to launch itself at me, but he suddenly stopped and started sniffing the air. I didn't know what it was doing, so I just waited defensively. Well, as defensively as you can with Dual Blades." The last part was uttered under his breath and I knew that the guild-master didn't want it on the book. "Instead of fighting, the monster ignored me and went up in the air, flying away from me. I don't know what it was, but I decided to return and when I reached Astera, I was told that my partner and the other two hunters hadn't returned."

The monster nodded but my boss didn't seem to think that it was enough. "Anything else to add?"

The hunter thought for a moment before nodding. "Apart from the unexpected monster, I think the two hunters sent with us were more of a drag than anything else. I think that without them we could have had a better chance." The guild-master nodded and waited for me to finish.

When I did, the monster spoke to the hunter. "Count yourself lucky that the Nergigante smelled prey, else we wouldn't be having this conversation."

The hunter didn't say anything, but it was clear that he didn't like the monster. "That is enough." I looked at where the guild-master was in the darkness. "You two may leave us."

The hunter immediately bowed and I followed quickly after. I was about to take my book with me when a hand on it stopped me. "Leave it."

I released it and followed the hunter, who, to my surprise, was holding the door for me. "Thank you." I muttered in a quiet tone.

The door closed behind us and we walked away from the dark room. Two guards stood on each side and I could feel their eyes on my back as we moved. The room was in the underground of the Guild, completely lacking any sunlight, with the long but claustrophobic hallways lit up by torches on the walls. We kept moving forward, passing over several closed doors that were used as cells for hunters that had broken the laws of the Guild.

We made a turn to the left and the moment we were out of the sight of the guards, I had to rest on the wall for a moment. Everyone had heard what the guild-master did with those that failed or he didn't like, and my hard was beating so hard I thought it would burst out. The hunter stopped and turned to me. "Are you okay?"

I took a couple of breaths. "I-I think I will be, thanks." I still remained with my hand on the wall. "It's just that… I still don't know what just happened, o-or anything that was said in that room…".

Before I noticed, he had extended a hand and I took it as he helped me to stay on my feet. I nodded my thanks and we kept walking. "Just don't ask questions." I sent him a look and he raised a hand in defense. "Look, I know it's weird, and that you have a lot of doubts, but with how the Guild is right now, it's better this way for your own safety." He looked forward and I noticed that his sight seemed lost ahead. "Though I know where you are. One day, I was just your normal rookie hunter, hunting small monsters to rank up, and the next, the Guild comes to my village and orders me to come here, giving me the best weapons and armor they can and bossing me around because of my eyes."

His eyes? What did his eyes have to do with anything? I mean, silver is not a common color, but what of it? "What's that supposed to mean?"

The hunter shook his head. "No questions, remember? I'm already risking a lot by telling you this, but after what we both had to go through in that room, I thought you deserved to at least know that you aren't alone on this."

That just raised more questions, but I guess he was right. We kept on moving until we reached the exit, protected by another two of the death-glare guard. We felt silent and he held the door for me again as we entered the stairs that went up. When the door closed, we resumed our talk. "Do you know what happened to your friend?"

He raised and eyebrow. "Who, Yashi? We didn't even know each other. The guild just sent us together because we were… special." He scowled. "Working with him was a pain, honestly. He had only one thing in mind: completing the objective. Anything else wasn't worth it, and I couldn't care less about what happened to him."

We walked at a calm pace, and I could tell that we were both more relaxed now. "Oh… I've had a few of those recently. Just going for the highest ranking missions without even a word." I crossed my arms and glared at the wall. "Assholes." He hummed and nodded in agreement. "It's almost if they were brainwashed or something."

"Not everyone cares about manners." Said the hunter. "If I could, I would just return to my village and be done with all this. But they wouldn't let me, and if I did…"

"You're afraid that your village ends up like the one from the rumors, right?"

He stayed silent but nodded. I had also been in one of the villages away from Gildegaran, but we had all been ordered to pack our things and return to the Headquarters for new assignments. Nobody knew what was going on and most of us were devastated to leave behind the village we had spent most of our time in. The chief sent a message asking the Guild what was going on, but the only answer that came was that it was confidential and that we had to leave immediately.

So left we did. I remember the tears that were shed that day, and I couldn't help but let one fall down my cheek. The hunter noticed and I smiled with a wave. "It's fine." I wiped it off. "Just remembering something."

He smiled. "I can relate." We reached the end of the spiral stairs and he opened the door. We stepped out into one of the hallways that only authorized personnel was allowed to use. We kept walking until we reached the main entrance of the Guild, crowded with hunters and other handlers going around their business. "Well, I guess here is where we part ways."

I nodded. My thoughts returned to what had happened back downstairs, but before I could dwell on it, I shook my head. "You know, I wouldn't mind working with you if you ever need a quest."

He smiled and put his helmet on. "Me neither. See you around."

He walked away and I returned to my post, back to ordinary as if nothing ever happened.

It was then that I realized I hadn't asked his name. Oh well, we are basically trapped in here, so we are bound to see each other.

* * *

 **/ Gore P.O.V. /**

Oh, this was going to _amazing_! And I could tell Summer was thinking the same as we flew towards the cliffs at the unpopulated side of Patch. _'Do you have the camera ready?'_

' _Oh, hell yes.'_ It was the only confirmation I needed as my sister, Luna and I flew at a calm pace, with Summer on my back. We were in no hurry and acting too excited may tip Luna that we are planning something.

After Daur returned from Atlas, we talked about he had missed. He was glad to hear that my sister had managed to Ascend, and assured us that her voice coordination would return slowly. And to catch up with the training we had missed, he decided to put us against each other in human form. And while she was far stronger and more coordinated than before, I still had a lot of training and skills in human form, so I pinned her down rather quickly, much to her annoyance. Oh, and it grew when I started teasing her.

It was soooo much fun now than before! Now, I could tease her and she couldn't beat me for it! Though I still have to catch the person that decided to teach her to do these 'noogies'. I had reduced the suspects to either Summer or Neo. And I had the growing suspicion that the one right now on my back was the responsible for it.

But that was for later. Right now, we were closing in on where we had agreed to meet with Daur and Daros. For once, he wasn't drinking everything with alcohol in the settlement. He had somehow become famous in Patch, alongside the other two hunters that came alongside him. Those two were… okay, I guess. One liked to drink, as Summer put it, 'as much as Qrow' and the other was a little wary of us. Nonetheless, the first one, Mabel, had showed to be very clever, even if a bit obsessed with studying me, and the other seemed to like helping around the house, which made life for Summer and Taiyang easier.

Oh! And the house was going well. We had been gathering more wood and we had decided to also create some stables big enough for us, but that was more of a long term idea. Honestly, knowing that we will be under cover from the rain is good for me. And Summer doesn't want to have everyone inside her house. I just hope any of them know what they are doing, because I doubt that any of the Elders or the resident Inferior have any idea on how to build a house.

I sure don't.

And Summer wanted to finish my weapon too. I had decided to use the parts from the **asshole** that I killed, but I wanted to add my own touch, so we had decided to wait for a bit until we could do it without problem.

We reached the cliffs and, as expected, there was no one there. We landed and I helped Summer down. While I looked towards the horizon, Luna spoke. "[Did you bring me here just to watch the water move?]"

I sighed. "[No. We are just waiting for some people.]"

She looked around the wide, open space that were the cliffs. "[And are we going to have to wait a long time? I don't like being this close to so much water.]"

I decided to not pay attention to her whining and turned to Summer. _'Have you brought the Life Essence?'_ I already knew the satchel was hanging of the rope she used to fly on me, but I wanted to make sure.

She untied it from me and placed it on the floor. Opening it a bit, we both could see the shinning mineral inside, in perfect state. "Everything accounted for. And just in the right amount Daur picked."

I nodded and turned to look at the ocean. I could tell Dalamadur and Daros were already here, but Luna couldn't see them. Looking at my sister, I could tell that she also knew we weren't the only ones on the cliffs. Unsurprisingly, the waters also were clean of Grimm around the cliffs for obvious reasons. It was clear that it hadn't been hard for them to do so. Not that any Grimm was much of a threat for any of us, honestly.

While Summer finished unpacking the Essence, Luna walked closer to me. "[There's no one here! I thought you were going to take me to those that taught you how to transform, but if this is-]"

"[Not that you can see.]" I interrupted her.

"[Excuse me?]"

I turned to the ocean again, and this time, the small tip of a rocky structure could be seen close to us. Not that Luna was paying attention anyway. "[I said that there is no one here… _that you can see_.]"

Elders have many faults in them, I won't deny it. Being an Elder myself has made me realize that I also am prone to many of the same mistakes. But I also know that the first step to change is realizing you aren't perfect. Anyway, even if we aren't perfect, that doesn't mean we aren't good at many other things. We have a lot of power and strength, intimidation on our side and more intelligence than people give us credit for.

Also timing. We have _extremely_ good timing.

No sooner had those words left my mouth, the ground around us started trembling. My sister and I were focused on keeping our balance, but we weren't surprised by it. Poor Summer was holding on to dear life to my arm, but apart from that she was doing perfectly fine. The worst of us was Luna, who didn't know what was going on and kept stumbling from side to side. Add to that the frantic way her head moved, looking around for the source of the tremor, and it was easy to tell she was scared and surprised.

Just as she thought this couldn't get any worse, there was an enormous splash of water and a giant serpentine figure rose from under the cliff and, when a good part of his body was over the edge of the cliff, Dalamadur started slwoly slithering around us, until we were completely surrounded by his body and his head was now back to the side of the cliffs, forming an 'U' around the place we stood.

I glanced at Luna and I could tell by her wide eyes and open mouth that she was _not_ expecting that. Then again, who expects a giant snake Elder to appear out of water? I turned to my sister and we both realized we were wearing the same grin. With a little nudge, Summer pulled her camera started taking pictures.

' _This is where the fun begins.'_ I thought to myself.

Dalamadur kept looking at Luna from where he stood, with his eyes not leaving her form, and her tongue slipping in and out menacingly. He wasn't just imposing, he basically exuded power and fear. I remember the first time my siblings and I saw him: our instincts of fight or flight were on override and I could tell that even the prideful of my brother was, as humans put it, 'pissing himself off'. This was no different.

He basically represented what every Elder strived for in terms of power, and what every hunter's nightmare was made of.

As for her, she was just paralyzed, either from fear or awe, I couldn't tell, but it was quite the sight, as she tried to form any words, but only blabbering came out. My sister was starting to snicker and I was trying my hardest not to follow her. _'Are you getting everything?'_

The slightly cruel smile she send my way told me that yes, we were going to have a lot of fun later on. Just as Luna was starting to calm down, the tremors came back and another form emerged from the waters. Due to his size, Dalamadur had left enough space for the next form to emerge right in front of us, and this time, we were all surprised, though for different reasons.

My sister and I had never seen Daros, or Zorah Magdaros, in his true form, and Summer, while enjoying the surprise, awe and fear from Luna, couldn't help but be awed herself at the two Elders. Luna, on the other hand, returned to her catatonic state with a yelp she would later never admit to have made. The new mountain-shaped Elder stood before us, completely made of black rock and skin, with flowing lava and fire on his back shell.

The two literal titans just stood there, sending menacing looks towards us. Now, the three of us knew that we weren't in any danger, but Luna…

"[Bu-bu-bu... I-I do- do… how-wha…]"

I couldn't hold it anymore and started laughing with my sister. Surprisingly, a ground shaking chuckle also came from Daros, which scared off any animals that had remained after the show that the other two Elders had made, which weren't many. "[I-I'm sorry, but the lass' face is just hilarious! Bwa, ha, ha!]"

It was followed by a sigh from Dalamadur, which had enough power behind it to move Summer's cape, even if he wasn't close to it. "[Well, at least you have managed to maintain a straight face longer than the last time. Be grateful for small victories, I suppose.]" His eyes landed back on Luna, who even after that, was still completely still, mouth agape and eyes wide open. Dalamadur smiled and I felt the shiver that it sent through Summer's spine. "[Though I think it was more than enough for this instance.]"

He can be quite creepy when he wants.

"[Go-go-gore? W-wh-what…?]" I was starting to think we may have traumatized her.

I cleared my throat and moved closer to the edge, where Daros was. "[Well, I did tell you we were going to meet with the ones that could transform into humans.]" I extended my wingarms and pointed at the two. "[Here they are.]"

Her head snapped to me, this time with her mouth closed. She pointed at the two, and I nodded. Then she pointed at me, and I nodded again. I think her brain was trying to get around the idea of what she had gotten herself into. Noticing that this was going to be a lot harder with them like this, Summer spoke. "Why don't you two transform and take it from there? You know, being less menacing and all that?" She smiled at me and showed her 'not-a-scroll'. "Plus, I already have enough teasing ammo."

They looked at each other and nodded. First was Daros, who transformed right at the edge of the cliff and ended up having to climb a bit, muttering something about being too old. He was followed by Dalamadur, as he covered the entirety of our surroundings in a white, blinding light, until his transformation finished.

The two walked closer to us, with Luna's eyes still wide open at the spectacle, and Daros stretching his back and arms with several cracks. Daur simply stepped beside me and patted his armor of from any grass, dirt and remains of trees that could have been caught when he landed. When both were in front of Luna, they presented themselves.

"I am Dalamadur, or Daur. One of the Seven Keepers and master of Gore."

"And I am Daros, another Keeper. Pleasure to finally meet ya, lass."

She stared in bewilderment, until her eyes remained for a second longer on Daur. "[W-wait a second! I-I know you! I have seen you on the house a few times!"

He nodded. "As I said, I am Gore's master. I am tasked on training him with his human body and helping him overcome the challenges that come with it."

"[Remember those times my sister and I went off for a few hours? We were with him.]"

"Indeed." He turned to us. "If you would."

We nodded and my sister and I transformed. After Ascending, my sister's form had also changed and for the better, too. Her wings had become completely golden in color, and her armor had changed a lot: a long skirt reached up to her ankles, leaving the front open in a reverse 'v' and showing off the armor that covered her legs. The skirt was also plated, even if it looked light, and it was connected with the upper part of the armor. Unlike some of the more… revealing and ineffective designs female hunters wore, this one covered her body almost completely, leaving only open her head. The chest and arms had some beautiful white and yellow designs, and her wings were clasped at her back just like mine's.

Summer said something about her looking like Faunus royalty, and I couldn't help but agree.

With the four of us transformed, we turned to Luna, whose eyes seemed to have widened even more. Seriously, doesn't she need to blink? "As you can see, the process is completely safe and no harm will come to you if you decide to become just like us. Whatever you chose, you will have to keep this secret. Else you risk the lives of those that know about it or, like us, are able to transform." His tone was solemn, and left no choice in the last regard.

Although, I wasn't sure Luna had gotten the message, seeing as how she kept staring at us wide-eyed. "Um… Luna? Heloooo? Remnant to Luna, is anyone there?"

Finally, Summer's comments seemed to have snapped her out of it as she blinked. She looked at each one of us slowly, then spoke. "I… I'm just trying to understand all this…"

Daros stepped closer with a smile on his face, his booming voice bringing all attention to him. "Ah, don't worry, lass. Happens to all of us on the first time. But our local oversized snake-"

"I can't get an ounce of respect with you, can I?"

"is right in that you need to make a choice, lass." To my surprise, Luna was listening intently to everything he was saying. Maybe it was the show of power or the simple aura of friendliness that Daros had, but it is the longer I have seen her paying attention to something without threats in between. "While none of us will force ya into joining us or not, if you want this old geezer's advice, then do it."

There was a silence in the clearing as he didn't add more. Luna tilted her head to the side with a raised eyebrow. "[That's… it? Just 'do it'?]"

Daros shrugged. "Mean, what do ya have to lose? You already know _most_ of the truth and we all are living proof that it won't harm you."

Summer raised her hand. "Except me! I'm 100% human! And I also have used the Es-mmph!"

I quickly snapped a hand to her mouth before she could spill out more. "Wait until she De-dE-decides, will you?"

She realized quickly what I meant and nodded, and with her confirmation, I let her mouth go. Daros took it as a que to continue. "As I said, you know _mostly_ everything about us. If you decide that you don't want to do this, then okay. No worries. But ya don't get to know everything and will be left in the dark for many things in the future. However, if you accept, we will train you and you will get to know what is cooking around."

Summer leaned close to my ear and whispered. "This is like the red pill/blue pill situation."

I took a moment to process what she just said and turned to look at her, more lost than a Lavasioth in a mountain peak. "The what?"

"[I-I'll do it.]" My thoughts were cut short as my head snapped towards the source of the voice. "[I said I'll do it.]"

Daur and Daros looked at each other, then nodded. Daur approached her and threw one final question. "Before we begin, I have to ask you something, and I _want_ an honest answer. Why?"

She remained silent for a few seconds, pondering. _'Jeez, I can almost hear the grinds of her brain from here.'_ "[I… I want to be stronger, but… I'm also… curious. Before, I just saw humans as… bugs, but now...]" She closed her eyes and opened them gain, full of determination. "[Now I see that they may be the help I need to become stronger, and wiser. I was… wrong.]"

Oh. My. Ancients.

"[Summer, please, tell me you got that.]" Everyone turned to me and I pointed with my arms at Luna. "[Luna, _the_ Luna, has just admitted _she was wrong_. I may live for a lot longer than most Elders, but this is a one in a lifetime experience!]"

The clearing was filled with chuckles and laughter, and the obvious discontented noises from Luna. It stopped after a while, when Daur cleared his voice. "Yes, that – he, he – is quite the event, but let us not get derailed by it." He pointed at the almost forgotten contents of the sack, placed orderly on the floor. Or _had_ _been_ placed orderly, since the tremors had turned Summer's work to waste. Not that she seemed to care, though.

"Let us proceed."

* * *

 **A.N.: liked what I did with the first point of view. I wanted to change the side of the story for a moment and show you how things were going in the other side. Kudos to Rabid Armenian for the inspiration and help on that first part.**

 **For those wandering if I have a direction for the story, I actually do. My plan was for it to be one last arc before a small timeskip, then another couple of them, and finally, the jump into cannon. How many chapters could that be? IDK, but quite a few, between 6-8. The thing is that, while I know what those arcs will be about, I can't seem to find the right way to write them. I think I just need to step back for a bit, re-read the last few chapters and write again with fresh ideas and a clearer look of the picture.**

 **No omke, but I leave you with an** _ **extremely easy**_ **clue of what it will be about when I return (like, seriously, if any of you doesn't get it, I'm gonna be extremely disappointed):**

' **Gotta Catch 'Em All!'**

 **Reviews!**

 **Knighwolf1875: the prequel meme says it all. And she will, once the matter of Luna is settled and they get to talk with Ozpin about it.**

 **Rotrox: oh, her form is quite impressive for those around her. And I plan on having a lot of shenanigans regarding her royal and rich looks combined with the fact that, in Remnant, she is basically a Faunus.**

 **RabidArmenian: oooooh, a Con.** **Nice.  
*cue in the Solid Snake exclamation sound when Mabel still has the egg in her hands*  
Oh, I'm sure they'll be fine any way, just don't ask for advice to Gore, or his sister, or Luna, or Daur… or Daros… or any of the hunters… huh, it might not be as easy as they think…  
That, or Eye of the Tiger, depending on who is with her. I think Summer would go with the first one, while Tai fits better with this one.  
It's all good… for now.  
I mean, you can only keep something this big hidden for so long. Then again, Ozpin managed to hide a war in plain sight…**

 **proiu: more will be making appearances soon. And yeah, I just thought of it and said 'ya know, this is a very good way to start the chapter.'**

 **MH4life: they'll have to adapt slowly. He still hasn't left her side, and there will be a moment where he will need to accept that she doesn't need that much protection. S for their downfall, we shall see. The weapon is going to have some interesting finishing touches fron Gore, that I can assure you.**

 **Therealvahl: Ironwood: ah, nothing could ruin this time of fake peace.  
Elder bois: let us introduce ourselves.**

 **Drago – X6627: thank you! As I said, we are** _ **'relatively'**_ **close to cannon. I wanted for Gore and Summer to live their or adventures before we enter the main story. Of course, there have already been changes and cannon will be less… cannon-** _ **y**_ **.**

 **98kazer: ya know, I'm starting to think ya'll only want the speedy elder boi on the story. Who says I don't already plan on introducing him?**

 **Omnisaurus: very noice indeed. And I think you are confusing yandere with tsundere. I had to search the terms when I first got them mention as to not confuse them, I kid you not.**

 **Verdagua(x5): mind if I answer them all in one? Meh, doing it anyway. 1) Thanks. 2) It was actually one of you guys who told me to call him that, if I recall correctly. 3) The moment Qrow teaches him, I'm sure there will be a few people who get it for pissing him off. 4) I mean, he has the strength of a town sized snake condensed in one punch. Aura or not, that is bound to hurt like. Absolute. Fricking. Hell. 5) Thanks, and it already is a thing.**

 **Dr. Posh: well, Remnant may still have to wait to actually see Dalamadur in his real form, but I can tell you, it will be something nobody will forger any time soon.**

 **I hope you enjoyed!**

 **Have a great day!**


	28. Chapter 26: Progress and politics

**A.N.: hello there! Guess who's back, back gain~! It's me! Did you miss me? Admit it, you missed me~.**

 **So, many things have happened. Life hit me hard, but I'm back from it. I found a job that I will begin with at the end of the month, but more on that on another chapter. Watched the Gate anime, and loved it, and my inspiration returned. Yay!**

 **I'm not at 100%, but I have more than enough time and energy to return to the story.**

 **Enough chatter, more chapter!**

* * *

 **Black Dragon, White Rose**

 **Chapter 26**

 **Progress and politics**

 **/ Gore P.O.V. /**

I blocked the punch coming my way with ease. It had quite the strength behind it, but even I could tell it was sloppy. And while a normal human would have become paste if they tried to do the same I just did, I just felt a small push. I smiled under my helmet and drew my opponent closer, kneeling them in the gut. Ignoring the loss of air of my opponent, I twisted around and threw them behind me.

My other opponent dodged the body of their companion and kept rushing me. Unlike the first, they tried to tackle me by my waist. Taking a trick from Summer's book, I dropped lower than them and swiped their legs as they passed by me. A human would have to twist around or stand up to continue after this move, but I used my wingarm to uppercut my opponent right as they fell. They went upwards and flipped in mid-air and I almost winced when I realized I may have put too much strength behind the hit.

My musings didn't stop me from noticing the one I threw before trying to claw at my back. Before they could reach me, I extended both my wingarms and grabbed her by the head, twisting her above me and slamming them over their partner right as they were trying to get up. There was a loud _'crack!'_ and I noticed the ground breaking underneath them both.

"Enough." I turned to look at Dalamadur as he approached us. "You've done wonderfully, Gore. Those two, however…"

I looked at the groaning pile of limbs that Luna and Maggie had formed. I expected her to not like the name, but she didn't mind, especially after Ruby, in one of her 'hugging sprees', tackled her shouting her name. That little girl could warm up even the coldest of hearts, and I couldn't help but feel happy.

Like mother, like daughter. He, he, he.

I crouched close to them, a smug smile on my face. They couldn't see it but they knew damn well I was enjoying this. "You both need to stop using only your strength. It makes you _so predictable_. Though if you want me to jeep beating you, I'll be more than glad to."

They stopped trying to get up and glared at me. "I'm afraid he's right." My smile grew and they knew it. "You need to change your fighting habits in your human form. Gore hasn't mastered it yet, but he can at least take advantage of his smaller and more mobile form."

It was a habit I needed to get rid off while being human. Although my strength was still overwhelming, I needed to be more versatile. While this body was less of a target than my normal one, it also meant I needed to be more precise over my attacks. And with Aura being a thing in this world, just being strong wasn't enough. It was easier said than done, though.

"You also need to work with each other. If you had coordinated better, you would have lasted longer and had a better chance at taking down your opponent." Those words made the two transformed Elders look at each other. After a second of glaring, they harrumphed and looked away from the other.

Yeah, that was going to be harder than the strength habit.

Standing up as they tried to untangle themselves, I looked at Daur. "What hour is it?"

He searched through the small pouch he had on his waist and took out a small, golden watch. It had been a present from Ozpin. Those two had become very good friends over learning from each other. He pressed a button on the top of the watch and it plopped open as he looked at it. "Almost 5 o'clock."

"Shit!" I shouted. "I'm going to be late!"

Before rushing away, I deadpanned at my sister and Luna as they flailed around, trying to get up. I pulled them away and up to their feet. I waved them a quick goodbye and left as fast as I could. If I arrived late again, Summer was going to use me as training dummy!

Before I left the clearing, I could hear the voice of Daur behind me. "Since you both need to work on your teamwork, I will be your next opponent."

I heard the whimpers from my sister and Luna. Did I pity them? Yes. Was I going to turn back? _Hell no_. That would put me in the crosshairs of that demon in snake skin. Seriously, he can be an absolute monster when training us. Plus, the last thing I wanted was to suffer through that only to have Summer angered for missing our meeting at Signal. She hadn't been having a good week.

Well, more than a bad time, it was her getting nervous. She hadn't gone on a mission for a while and she wanted to do something. I don't blame her, but that made her more irritable and with a bit of a temper. Luckily, Ruby, Yang and Neo always managed to put a smile on her face, even if Neo kept pranking her with her Semblance or stealing ice-cream when she should be listening to Sum during training.

As I kept running towards the school, I thought about getting a scroll (it still doesn't feel right calling it that) if only to have a way to tell the time without having to rely on somebody else. Since my Semblance solved the communication issue, I didn't find myself needing one. Well, I could think about it later. Right now I had more urgent matters.

And it wasn't the Grimm that poked its head from the tree line right through were I was running.

After relieving the black creature of its head, I made haste until I reached Signal. A few of the students and teachers outside looked as I ran inside and showed my identification to the one guarding the entrance. I moved through the halls and reached the forge as fast as I could. I opened the doors and looked inside, finding Summer waiting with a frown on one of the tables.

I sighed, recovering my breath and walking towards her. She noticed me and extended her hands upwards. "Finally!"

I moved closer to the table. "Summer, I am 5 minutes late. Don't make yourself a martyr."

She glared at me, but relented a second later with a sigh. "I know. I'm sorry, but I really want to finish your weapon. We've worked very hard on it and I really want to see it finished."

With a smile, I placed a hand on her shoulder. "It's fine. I didn't want to do this at first," she deflated upon hearing that, "but we have put a lot of time and effort into it, and now I also want to finish it and use it. Thank you for helping me, by the way. I would have never been able to do this on my own."

Her smile returned at that. "It was no problem. That's what friends are for, right? To help make weapons to each other."

I don't think that's how friendships work, but I didn't correct her. We wanted to finish this project that we had put so much effort in, to see the end result. I think Summer would do it even if it wasn't a weapon. Being a tool of mass destruction just added to its charm.

…

I was spending too much time around weapon freaks. How did Taiyang manage to maintain a normal personality was beyond me.

We moved to the different sides of the table, the students and teachers around already used to our presence here. The table was as long as a person lying down and bit more, reaching a bit over my waist. On top of it, a piece of cloth covered the weapon. It had been an… interesting project to say the least. Summer just wanted to add more and more things while I wanted something simpler. While it's true that I would need to learn to use it anyway, I didn't want to overcomplicate things. Summer had years and several teachers to help her learn to use hers.

I couldn't attend classes, and even then I only had Summer to rely on when it comes down to it. Sure, the rest could help, but she was the best option.

In the end, she managed to convince me and we ended up with something in between. As we made it, we talked about what type of weapon I wanted, to what Summer cleverly answered: "Why just one?"

And with some help from Midnight and Icharias, we ended up with something close to a Switch Axe from back in our world, but with our personal touches. Summer moved the cloth off and the unfinished weapon presented itself. It was in its axe mode, with one blade on each side, both shining in a light purple hue. I was surprised to learn we could mix my Virus with the Essence, but it seemed to need another metal as a catalyst. If we tried to add my Virus to the Essence, the last one would repel it. So we needed to infuse it into another metal and then melt them together.

The result were the two blades now on the weapon. The edge was almost pulsing in purple while the rest of the blade had the pure white of the Essence mixed with a light hue of the same color of the blade. But the weapon didn't end there. One of the blades had an S-like shape and was shorter, while the other stuck to the center of the weapon almost to the handle, its edge spiked rather than completely straight, giving it a sick look compared to the elegant form of its sister blade.

The center connected both blades and acted as a barrel for the gun in the weapon. Unlike the normal Switch Axe, this one didn't explode on the tip, but instead it could fire with enough power to turn into paste someone's head. It didn't have a lot of fire rate, but I didn't care about that. If anyone got close enough I would just turn to melee. Honestly, I left Summer with more freedom on this part. I just know some of the basics because she taught me and I paid some attention as she ranted.

Thank the Ancients she's going to help me maintain it. Because I have _no idea_ on how to keep a weapon working, even less a _gun_.

The metal parts in between the blades were decorated with white lines over the black metal. Ruby still thought that I should make it red. I just don't want to look like one of the superheroes that wear their underwear outside of their suits, with a bright red color over it, like the one in the series the girls watch at breakfast. No thanks.

We had left a small place above the handle to draw my symbol once I had one. Summer said that every hunter should have one. I hadn't thought about it, so I decided to leave it for later. The handle was a bit more classic, with a rough but elegant cloth circling around it in order for it not to slip away. The last part, the pommel, was what we were going to finish today.

Summer looked at me, a serious but calm look on her face. "Okay. Do you have the materials?"

I nodded and lifted the bag from under the table. Inside, several spikes from that Elder eating asshole. Since we couldn't add them to the rest of the weapon, I decided to leave them for last. When I calmed down, Summer explained that the spikes may turn out to be more of a problem than anything if we put them on the blades, so we talked it and decided to use them on the pommel, in case I needed to 'boop' someone at close range.

A very spiky and painful 'boop', that is.

She nodded and a small smile appeared on her lips. "Then let's get down to it."

* * *

 **/ W.D Gaster P.O.V. /**

In all of my time as a scientist, I had seen and done many things. I had helped in developing a serum that boosted the recovery of someone's Aura, I had studied all kinds of Grimm, only to be met with dead ends most of the time. I had helped develop the blueprints of several of the new AK models of Atlas. I had even managed to create a more efficient and powerful engine for Atlas' ships, making them fast enough to move from Atlas to Vale in a matter of _hours_.

I hadn't gotten several PhDs to just sit idle, damn it!

But what do I get in return? What did those ungrateful atlesian bastards gave me in return? A pat on the back and smile. My projects just taken away by the army and the credit given to incompetent scientists that were related to the high echelons of their rotten society, all because everything in Atlas has to be made _by_ Atlas, _for_ Atlas! I spent _years_ on those projects, even going as far as unlocking my Aura and Semblance just to make some tests myself, and I don't even get a small funding to continue some of my own investigations!

All because Atlas can't take on the idea that someone outside of their borders can be better than them at something.

Their scientists laughed at me, at my pleas and threats to get the recognition me and my team deserved, only to be dismissed and basically threatened to not reveal what I knew. Even when one of its own, Doctor Polendina, supported my cause, they turned their heads around and announced another of their 'charity balls', where they got to laugh and boast of how _great_ Atlas was.

My team gave up, some finding small projects to keep themselves afloat, while others left the science they had dedicated years to behind. It was my lowest moment and I am not afraid to say I was desperate and hopeless. After all, what can a single man do against an entire kingdom? It wasn't as if my experiments were amoral or frowned upon! They simply couldn't take somebody from outside of their walls being good at what they did.

And it was then when I was approached by Ozpin.

I didn't care about recognition (too much), but I wouldn't have my work stolen. And when the Headmaster of the most prestigious huntsmen academy in all Remnant showed me what he wanted me to research, I accepted immediately and gathered whoever from my old team remained. Under the promise of absolute secrecy, we followed, joined by other likeminded individuals.

It started as a research for a cure of a virus we had never seen. And it has evolved into so much more.

And as I stared through the Dust-reinforced glass, at the dragon (for there was no other name for the creature restrained inside of the room) on the other side, a sick smile escaped my lips. Not only was this last one brought from _Atlas itself_ , but it was here to stay.

Seemingly noticing my stare, the creature opened its eyes and looked at me. I could feel the fear and the confusion of the monster, but also the anger and rage. The Headmaster said this one was dangerous and that it hadn't agreed to the terms proposed to it. As such, _he_ was to be kept inside and restrained at all times.

"Fully sentient dragons. A new species, a new _world_ full of mysteries and stories." His glare focused on me as I spoke. "Let's see you take this away from me, Atlas."

My statement was followed by a chuckle that erupted into a mad laughter. I didn't care. I was going to be the one to advance Remnant into a new age of wonders, and this species was going to be the catalyst. And with the scientists, materials and funds provided by Beacon, I would make sure to get results.

All while shutting up those, those brainless morons up north! Maybe not now, but soon enough.

"Doctor Gaster!"

I turned upon hearing the voice of my assistant. "Yes, what is it?"

He stopped to catch his breath. It seems he was in quite the hurry to reach me. "We… we believe we have made a… a breakthrough on the cure!"

Ahh. Competent coworkers. What a blessing. "Excellent! I shall be heading there immediately! Let us advance the world! For SCIENCE!"

My assistant tried as best as he could to follow on my step as my semblance manifested several hands behind me, a couple reaching for my scroll.

Atlas could wait. It was only a matter of time.

* * *

 **/ Ozpin P.O.V. /**

"Have you gone mad, Ozpin? What you are saying is impossible!" Mr. Burgundy, a small and rather overweight member of the Council shouted back at me.

I sighed and rubbed my temples. "Councilmen, I assure you that I am mentally sane. And that I have proof of the existence of these creatures. If you would just let me-"

"No, Ozpin. You have been dedicating Beacon's funds in this chase of mythical and nonexistent creatures." The second Council member interrupted me. Miss Ecru, an old woman with white hair and a face that always seemed to be scowling.

"And now you have the guts to contact us, only _after_ you spent all the money on this… this nonsense!" The third and last member, and also the youngest of the three, decided to continue his fellow member's rant. Mr. Kobe, the son of the previous Council member that occupied the same seat, was a tall and slim young man, that usually demonstrated to have more common sense that his two companions. He sighed. "Ozpin, you know I respect the work you are doing in Beacon, but I can't bring myself to believe that something so… farfetched is the truth."

In all honestly, I couldn't blame them. Suddenly being told that there existed another world filled with creatures, _dragons_ even, that weren't Grimm and that were sentient enough to communicate with us wasn't something I myself would believe without some sort of proof. And while they weren't informed of everything we knew, even just this knowledge was enough to shatter one's worldviews.

However, I hadn't been reincarnated over and over just to be dismissed as a mad man. Not when I had proof, at the very least. "I know I may sound mad, but I wouldn't have contacted you if I didn't have a way to prove my words. I have seen them myself, both the people and the creatures from this other world. But I know my words won't be enough to convince you." I tapped at the screen on my table a few times and the scrolls of the three Council members beeped. "If you are to look at your scrolls, you will see more than enough evidence compiled by the scientists under my orders. I assure you," I allowed a small smirk to form on my face, "it will not disappoint."

The three opened the scrolls and the archive I had sent them. I could almost count the 5 seconds it took for all of their eyes to go wide. Even Miss Ecru, with her perpetual frown, couldn't hold her mouth from opening. "This… this is…"

"Impossible." Finished Mr. Kobe for her. "But we have already said that, haven't we?"

Of course, I knew it wouldn't be as easy as that. "Bah! This must be some sort of… of manipulation! These photos aren't real!"

I focused my eyes on Mr. Burgundy, my smile still there. "That is why I sent something else alongside those images. If you would please open the second file?"

They did as told, Burgundy grumbling all the while. It stopped the moment the recording from the good doctor began. It was the video of a series of tests that he had performed on the new 'guest' of Vanguard Base. The Elder, named Kushala Daora, was shown inside a containment cell while the scientists recording the tests worked outside of it.

The first test was the introduction of a human-like dummy and the dragon's reaction to it. At first, it seemed to not care about the orders given to it, only acting after being threatened with the sleeping gas. The result was a direct attack on the dummy, in the form of a ball of wind powerful enough to shatter the dummy into pieces.

The tests continued afterwards, and there was a tense silence between the members of the Council. After around 15 minutes of video, the recording stopped and the three of them returned to reality. Mr. Kobe let his scroll down and covered his mouth with one hand, his eyes lost away from the screen. Miss Ecru kept staring at her scroll, the image of the dragon tearing through a pack of Grimm paused on her device. Mr. Burgundy, however…

"This… how are we going to approach the public with _this_?" He said, pointing at his scroll, sweating profusely. "It- It will bring panic! It will be the end of our positions and our careers!"

I wasn't surprised he cared more about his position than anything else. Luckily, that made him predictable. "We won't."

The three looked at me, surprise written all over their faces. It was Miss Ecru who spoke this time. "We can't keep this away from the public, Ozpin. Something this big-"

I raised a hand and cut her off. "Mr. Burgundy is right." I didn't like the sound of that, even coming from my own mouth. It tasted as if had eaten a pile of ash. "We can't let this information spread through the public. As of right now, only a few of these creatures have appeared in Remnant, and none of them have gotten close to human settlements. But it is also true that we can't sit idle while new threats appear on the horizon."

A new message reached the members of the Council and they opened the extensive file on it. Their looks turned into confusion and Mr. Kobe addressed me. "Project S.A.C.R.E.D.?"

I nodded. "While it is true that these creatures are far more dangerous than the common Grimm, they are also fully sentient, at least most of them. This means they can be reasoned with. In fact, we have already come in contact with several of them." Their eyes widened once more and they paid close attention to my next words. "A group of these creatures has agreed to help us protect Remnant from others like them."

Burgundy intervened, a scowl on his face. "And how do we know we can trust them? If they are fully sentient, as you say, then how do we know they are not planning on betraying us? Or turn out like those damn Faunus and their White Fang?"

"They have their reasons." It was well known amongst Vale's high class the distaste this man had for the Faunus. He was one of the obstacles for many laws of equality, and had a great part of the law enforcement high command following his orders and views. Nevertheless, he was elected by the people and we needed to work with him. "While some harbor hate towards humanity from their own world, the majority are reasonable enough. For those that aren't, though, we have project S.A.C.R.E.D." As they looked through the folder I had sent them, I began explaining. "This project is a containment procedure created by the scientists that I have recruited, with the help of humans from the other world, who have the knowledge that we need to capture these creatures."

I signaled to the other person in my office and he moved to my side. I would have preferred for Daur to help me through this meeting, but I had the feeling that Daros wouldn't disappoint. When he stepped into view, all the heads of the three council members moved upwards slowly until they were faced with, probably, the tallest man they had ever seen. He spoke, his heavy voice carrying perfectly to the other side of the call. "Good day, lads. I am Daros. I heard ya'll had some questions about my world."

There was a stunned silence from the other side of the call, until Kobe managed to gather himself first and speak. "So… Ozpin is telling the truth? You, these creatures. You are… not from Remnant?"

Daros nodded. "Aye, lad. Back in my world, some of us train to track and hunt these monsters and keep our people safe. Just like Oz here does with his students. We study them and make sure we know our prey before we begin the hunt."

I had heard how Daros behaved usually, and was gladly surprised he could keep a straight face through that. With his arms crossed and a subtle frown on his face, he created this image of a professional with an objective, someone that you couldn't even picture outside of a highly dangerous job. But I understood the importance of keeping a secret, and it seems Daros did too.

"You say that you hunt these creatures." Miss Ecru, with her voice carrying an inquisitive tone, addressed Daros. "Wouldn't it be better to simple send a team of huntsmen to kill them the moment we detected them?"

To someone that didn't know her, they might see her words as a way to find the quickest solution to a threat to the people. I knew better, as she simply didn't like the waste of resources she thinks the project would be. The Elder shook his head. "No, las. While they are dangerous, they aren't like ya Grimm. Some of them only want to be left alone, away from us humans. Others don't care as long as they get a good fight. And then are the ones ya want to either contain or kill."

It was Kobe who spoke next. "How do you know so much about them? Enough to even know what one of them wants?"

"'Cause they have their own language." He explained to the bewildered Council. "It is impossible for a human to speak it, but it can be learnt. And you have seen that they can understand us. A person that knows both languages can communicate with them and see what they want." He shrugged. "Some will be lost and want to return, others will stay. But there is something that can make them want ta stick with ya: the Grimm."

I took it as my turn to explain. "It seems that the Grimm have the same hatred towards them that they have towards humanity and the Faunus. And while one of these dragons can easily dispatch any simple Grimm with ease, they are not immortal, and the Grimm are too many in number."

The three members looked at each other. Kobe spoke. "And what would this project exactly entail?"

I brought a picture of Vanguard Base for all to see and talked. "We have refitted an old Merlot Industries base with new equipment and workforce. There is enough space to contain most of the creatures that come to this world and study them. Those that aren't deemed a threat or agree to work with us will be allowed to roam free, away from cities and settlements, though they will be kept under a close watch. Those that stay with us will be partnered with a huntsman or huntress that will have to swear to keep the secret, lest they are ridden of their hunter's license and arrested for revealing classified information." They didn't utter a word as I spoke, which allowed me to continue. "These partnerships of human and dragons, or Elders, as they are called in the other world, will be sent to intercept any new arrivals from that same world or to extremely dangerous missions that would take an entire team of huntsmen to be dealt with."

What came next was a round of questions and answers about project S.A.C.R.E.D., but it was mostly about how much control they would have over it and how did they benefit from it. I saw this coming even in the planning stages of the project. It was agreed that I would be managing the project and the funds provided by the council, but I would have to report to them periodically, and any missions not related to the contact and containment of the Elders would have to be approved by the Council or a representative. Of course, any discoveries made by the scientific team would be forwarded towards them from that point on.

Though I am afraid there were a couple that we would have to keep under wraps.

After the details were finished, Kobe spoke. "Ozpin, this is like nothing we have ever faced before. It could be the tipping point against the Grimm, or spell our own demise. Please, tread carefully."

I nodded and his image disappeared from my screen. "I… still need to… comprehend what has transpired in this meeting." Said Miss Ecru. "But I can at least understand the gravity of this situation. You have been leading Beacon from even before I presented myself to the Council elections. I hope, for all our sakes, that you can now manage both at the same tie without failing us."

Her image disappeared and Daros and I were left with the last member of the Council. "I don't like this." He said in a harsh tone. "I don't like that you kept all of this hidden from us until know. I don't like having to deal with all of this. But I like even less the idea of this information falling in the hands of Atlas and using it to their benefit. Them or Mistral. Vacuo would just sit on the sand like they always do." True enough. "I will keep an eye on you, Ozpin. Remember that."

His image faded and I allowed myself to sag on my seat a bit. "Oy." I turned to Daros. "It almost seemed as if those two were trying to work _against_ ya instead of _with_ ya. Do they know the difference?"

I let out a small laugh. "They are afraid. You would be if you were talking with the man that controls the institution that trains the most powerful warriors in the entire world. And the only thing stopping him from turning you and your city to ash is that that same institution is linked to it." I rose from my chair and walked to the window. "Of course, it is not like that, but people like them always prepare for the worst and can become extremely paranoid because of it."

Daros nodded, but a small smile formed on his lips, and he approached me. "Well, at least we have this problem out of our way. How 'bout we go and celebrate?"

I turned to him. "You can celebrate with the rest. I still have an academy to run and the rumor mill would explode if the students learnt that their headmaster can drink and have free time like normal people."

He let out a boisterous laugh. "Ah, teenagers. Always a handful." He walked towards the elevator and pressed the button. "I'll celebrate for the both of us." His smile weakened and it took on a more distant and melancholic look. "If some of the humans from back in our world had been a bit more like ya, things could've been different. Hell, even some Elders could be a little more like you or Sum."

With nothing else to add, he entered the elevator and left. I pondered on his words.

' _If only they knew…'_

* * *

 **/ Gore P.O.V. /**

"IT'S ALIVE! ALIVEEEEE!"

Under normal circumstances, I wouldn't have minded Summer having her fun. But the weird looks and scared people trying to run outside of the forge told me that she was taking this too far.

Note to self: humans are scared of mad laughter and shouting in their surroundings. No surprise there.

"Umm, Sum. I think you should calm down." I think one of the students was calling the police.

She snapped out of it and looked around the forge, realizing the effect she had on the room. Her cheeks turned a very potent red and made herself as small as she could on her chair. We were besides one of the ovens inside of the forge, and she was wearing some protective gear. Aura may stop damage, pain was another thing entirely. "S-sorry. I always get carried away with this sort of thing…"

I twisted my head to the side. "Enough to scare everyone in the room?"

Her face reddened even more but I didn't get an answer. I decided to let her embarrassment pass and took a look at my new weapon. While the only difference from before was the spiked ball at the end of the handle, I couldn't help but feel as though we had done so much. It felt pretty great, actually. "Well? Don't just stand there." I turned to Summer, who seemed to have gotten over her shame. "Give it a couple of swings. Or is mister dark and edgy too afraid of his new weapon?"

I ignored her last comment and answered. "Whatever you say, doctor mad laughter." Her face buried in her hands and I picked the weapon up. A normal human would find this extremely heavy and unwieldy. For me, it was as light as a feather. I could still feel the weight, though, so it wasn't as if would just fail to notice it when I swung. Wielding it felt… weird, but not in a bad way. I could feel my Virus inside of the weapon, but it was different than usual. It felt… dulled, and at the same time, more aggressive. As if it was waiting eagerly for the chance to be used.

It was almost as if the Virus inside wanted to spread. But that's impossible. My Virus doesn't have sentience… right?

Oh Ancients, please don't let my life get weirder than it already is…

Trying to focus, I grabbed the weapon with my two hands and did a couple of vertical and horizontal slashes. For all the weirdness, it felt _amazing_. Was this what Summer meant when she said a weapon must be like a part of ourselves? I didn't know if this was it, but I liked it. I would have to get used to it, though.

"Not bad." Said Summer beside me. "We'll have to work on your… everything, but for your first time using a weapon, I'm impressed." Still, I felt like I was doing something wrong. Something that didn't quite fit. I tried swinging with one hand, and while it didn't change much I felt like I was on the right way.

"Think you could help me with one handed attacks? I think I like the idea of having a free hand to grab people or punch them." Maybe I had gotten too used to Dalamadur's training.

She shrugged. "Sure. But can't you use your wingarms for that?"

"Not if I want to keep my appearance as a human in armor." I pointed at them. "Besides, I doubt any Faunus has these."

"Fair enough." She said. "Oh, Oh! Try one of the other modes!"

I smiled and nodded. Right now, it had its axe form, but when I reached for a button on the top part of the handle, the weapon shifted quickly and smoothly into a single-edged greatsword. I gave it a good look and tested it too. When I felt good with it, I pressed another button and the blades returned to their sides, extending outwards and forming a scythe, with one edge larger than the other.

I sighed and looked at Summer. "I'm still not sure about this. You said axes were going to be easy to handle and that you could teach me to fight with a sword, but this? I don't know if I'll be able to master it."

Summer hushed me and grabbed my head with both hands, making me look at her. "Who is the best scythe user that you know? Probably the best in all Remnant?"

I deadpanned behind my helmet. "Do you really need me to stroke your ego that much?" Her eyes hardened and I sighed. "You."

"Correct. And that means there is no one better to teach you to use-"

"An oversized gardening tool?"

"SUMMER CHOP!"

"Ow!"

"To use a _fine and elegant death machine_." Summer said, as I rubbed my head. How did she manage to make it hurt so much?! "Plus, we'll go step by step. First I'll teach you to use your axe mode, then your sword, and finally the scythe. And then you can combine them to make your own style." She smiled with her characteristic warmth and placed a hand on my shoulder, even if I was more than a head taller than her. "I didn't help you build this just to leave you at your own when it comes to learn to use it."

I smiled and rolled my eyes (and isn't that a weird thing to say with _no eyes_ ), retracting the weapon to its compact form. "Fine, gun nut. You win."

"I'm not a gun nut!"

I waved her off as we picked the tools up and prepared to leave. "Sure, keep telling yourself that." Meanwhile my mind roamed to two things Summer had mentioned before: a symbol and a name for the weapon. I didn't know where to start with any of those, and taking another look at my new weapon still didn't give me any clues.

It would have to wait, I suppose.

* * *

We ended up being joined by bird-man on our way back home. Unsurprisingly, after Sum's little outburst, someone had called the teachers stating that 'a mad witch was trying to bring a weapon to life'. When bird-man, or Qrow, as Summer insisted on calling him (a crow was still a bird, so bird-man it was), explained the situation, I busted out laughing and Summer tried to hide herself beneath one of my wings.

Now I _really_ wanted to get my hands on one of those scrolls, just to immortalize moments like that.

In any case, we walked back home at a calm pace, talking and arguing in a friendly manner. The girls and Taiyang still had a while before they could head back, but Qrow had already finished his classes for the day, so it would be just the three of us back home.

Well, us and the small multitude that had taken residence there. I felt a bit guilty about that. I _was_ the first one, after all.

It wasn't surprising when the outside of the main entrance was completely empty though. Neo was probably in her room playing those 'videogames' I had heard the girls talking about, and Dalamadur would probably be with the rest in the forest or in the clearing behind the house. Daros was with Ozpin and Midnight was probably helping around with the new house. She seemed pretty invested on it even if it was easy to tell that she wanted to rescue her town as soon as possible. Maybe she just wanted to get her mind away from that until we began?

Summer began opening the door and I made a mental count in my head. So who did that leave us with? Let's see: Daur, Daros, my sister and Luna were out. Ruby, Yang and their father too. Midnight had dragged Icharias to help like all the other times, so that left us with Neo, that pest of a fur ball and…

Inside of the house, on the sofa, Neo sat looking at a downcast Alma. Oh, right! Those two hunter girls. But if she was here, where was the other one? When she saw us, her head snapped up while I Neo greeted us with a friendly wave, as if disconnected from what was happening to the other girl in the room.

"Hi, Neo. How have you been?" The girl smiled and gave a thumbs up. Then Summer turned to Alma and noticed her expression. "Alma, is everything alright? And where is Mabel? It's weird not having you both together."

The woman sighed and looked at the cup of coffee on her hands. "I'm fine… mostly. It's Mabel that worries me." Noticing the look worried looks Summer and bird-man were giving her, she calmed them down. "Nothing bad has happened to her, I assure you! It's just that… she started comparing our calendar with yours, in a way to keep track of our own world's days."

Bird-man hummed. "Clever girl." He sat down on one of the chairs without taking his eyes off the worried Alma. "But that still doesn't explain why you are like this."

She sighed as me and Summer sat as well. "The thing is that, she has this… _day_ once every year. And when she crossed both calendars, she realized today was that day and, well…" She let the cup down and covered her face with her hand. "Damn it, I knew it was close, but I lost track of time."

We all looked at each other. "Alma, what is going on? What happens to Mabel this day of the year?"

Bird-man inched closer, a smile on his face. "Is it some sort of extra-period or something you have in the other world?"

For his attempts at bad humor, bird-man received and pillow to the face from the part of Summer and an extremely pissed off glare from Alma (and yes, I had ben explained how _that_ worked on human women, and that it hurt a lot). But her anger receded and her saddened eyes returned. "It's better if I explain it. And then, we need to get Mabel before she does anything she might regret."

* * *

 **A.N.: so, a small recap. Gore finally has his weapon, hurrah! (With added scythe mode from Summer's part) Ozpin has managed to convince the council for help for now and we get a small look at the good doctor's motivations and past. As for Mabel, you'll see what is happening the next chapter.**

 **Now, I said in my last chapter that I had a plan to get to cannon. It will remain mostly the same, with probably 2 more chapters before a small timeskip, then some important events, and finally, cannon. However, don't expect Gore to interact with** _ **every single character before cannon.**_ **That is for Gamer and SI fics, and Gore doesn't even know the other members of team RWBY exist. Maybe he'll interact with one or two, but nothing more.**

 **Now, I know I said there would be an omake this chapter, BUT my inspiration poked my head and I decided to postpone it to the next chapter. Why? Because I want to start with a series of cross-over omakes that are actually a side story on their own. Non-cannon, obviously, but related between them as if it was a small story apart from the main one. You'll see what I mean by that.**

 **Reviews! (Oh, boy, there's a lot)**

 **Gnaw55617: thanks for the support! And what is with people and Chameleos? I don't mind, but you guys seem to like it a lot.**

 **OmegaUltima: well, he can't simply slither to Atlas and say hi. Though there may be a chance later down the line for them to see how Daur actually looks like.**

 **proiu: as I said, not 100%, but I needed to back. Both because of you guys and because I love doing this.**

 **Knighwolf1875: thanks, I do feel a bit better. And Ironwood has just unveiled the tip of the iceberg.**

 **98kazer: you know, that would just give Summer more fodder to tease Gore. And I like the idea of a partially-friendly rivalry between these two.**

 **RabidArmenian: sorry I answered so late. Real life hates me.  
References for the win!  
I'm sorry I didn't show much of her today, but I assure you, Luna is **_**not**_ **having an easy time as human/Faunus.  
Probably utter chaos if they don't get someone who knows about building houses to help them.**

 **brave kid: thank you!**

 **Omnisaurus: yeah, I get you, mah man. Too many deres.  
You'll see more of her Faunus form later on, and those two have made quite the impression on the group.  
Good question. I don't know. It depends on if I feel like they will bring something to the story or not.  
As far as I understand, a Shah Dalamadur is either a very old Dalamadur or one that shed its skin. Maybe in the future, but I can't be sure.  
I think he only actually eats Elders. I may be wrong, my lore on him can be a bit outdated or simply I mixed things that were told in-game.**

 **The Qrow: first, chill. I value opinions and constructive criticism, not rants and tantrums. Second, Gore doesn't actually know Ozpin has two souls, he just knows that he feels weird and** _ **LIKE**_ **he has two souls. It might just be that he is extremely powerful or old. Third, he trusts Ozpin and Summer, but he is not stupid. He knows that it is risky, but his position at the time was worse than it is now: the first option was to trust them both, have knowledge if a cure is created and reduce the number of people that know about it, or say no, and most probably discover later on that someone had gone behind his back and created a way to counter his most powerful weapon, without him knowing who, when, where or how, leaving him in the dark about what that cure can do. And finally, do you really think they will be able to make something that would actually wipe the Virus off of Gore? It literally eats Aura away, and Remnant knows very little of how Aura works in truth. Honestly, if someone were to inject some sort of cure to Gore, it would be like hoping for a small vase of water to cool off an Olympic pool of lava.**

 **Guest: but she is a tsundere, though. She just doesn't realize it yet.**

 **knightofthewintermoon (hope I wrote your name right): How to train your dragon, what a wonderful series of films. And they actually fit with my story in a way.  
Hmmmm…**

 **Raikaguken: I don't think so. And as for now, I have plans until V3 of cannon, though I will continue if people like this story.**

 **look2019: I'm glad you did!**

 **TheGamingPie: I know right? Honestly, I didn't like Weiss at first, but now I find her my favorite or at least top 3.**

 **Runningstar bloodrage: I just picture a very tall dwarf from LOTR. And I'm a bit lost by your last question.**

 **knightofthewintermoon (x4): *insert Yoda voice here* "Begun, the prequel memes, have."  
Chibi snek boi! Now more chibi than ever.  
Wow, that… honestly, I don't know what to say. Thank you, for starters! It just makes my day when I read these reviews. Even if it has been a while since they have been posted, just knowing that someone likes my story this much makes me smile for **_**hours**_ **. I… don't know what else to say except that I hope that you keep enjoying this as I keep writing.  
And yes! Plot-twist because I'm EVIL like that.**

 **Guest: you may have to wait, but you can't keep a secret like that forever.**

 **Hey: I'm glad you like it. And I know what you mean. If I were more experienced, I may have been able to write him better, but I hope that doesn't discourage you from reading onwards.**

 **Well, that is all for today. Thank you all so much for the support and I'm really,** _ **really**_ **sorry for the wait. We are back in normal schedule for a while, so stay tuned!**

 **Have a great day!**


	29. Chapter 27: Rescue: part 1

**A.N.: hello there! Whoo, for a moment I thought I wouldn't be able to post this. On some news, I will be starting to work soon on the mornings, and I don't know that will affect my writing schedule, but I'll try to keep my once per week chapter. Lets see how that goes.**

 **Enjoy!**

* * *

 **Black Dragon, White Rose**

 **Chapter 27**

 **Rescue: part 1**

 **/ Gore P.O.V. /**

In the end, the three of us ended up sitting on the couches, waiting for Alma to explain what was going on. Well, three plus one. Neo was sitting on the stairs looking at us and she seemed rather interested in what was going on. But when I looked at where she was, there was no one on the stairs. It seems that she is getting the hang of her Semblance, because I could barely notice the small crystal glimmer her illusions made. I would have called her on it, but I decided to let her listen. She was a bit too much into pranking, but she wasn't evil. If what Alma said turned out to be private, I knew she would keep it secret.

Waiting for when the rest were focused away from the stairs, I made a shushing motion, bringing my finger to where the 'mouth' of the mask was. She seemed surprised to know that I had noticed her, but a second later, a smirk spread across her lips and she gave me a small nod of confirmation. She understood the situation. Good.

Thank the Ancients for common sense.

"…okay, if I'm going to tell you about this, you need to keep quiet about it." Alma's words brought my attention back to her. "Mabel… this is not an easy topic for her and she asked me to keep this secret. But if we don't do anything, I don't know how this is going to keep affecting her in the future."

Brid-man moved closer, a frown now on his face. "Okay, you have our attention. What's all of this about?"

Alma sighed. "The thing is, that I don't actually know." She cut us off before we could say anything by raising a hand. "I've known her for two years now, but she hasn't told me exactly _why_ she does this. Only that she needs to. Though I feel that this doesn't do any good to her." She twirled her cup on her hand, looking lost. "She goes out alone, even if we are camping away from Astera. She basically drinks herself out during the day, followed by a couple of days of her basically not muttering a single word and with a frown on her face. But she won't tell me why she does this."

"Have you pressured her about it?" Asked Summer.

She shook her head. "I asked a few times but she always says to not worry about or changes subject. And normally she doesn't get herself in trouble. But with being transported to another world, and all of the madness that have been our last few days, I don't know how this will affect her."

I took her small pause to speak myself. "And if you are worried, why haven't you acted before?"

She looked at me. "I thought about it, but it seemed like something important to her, and nobody got hurt. But now…" She sighed. "Now things have changed, but not all of it is bad. We have you guys now. I don't know what it is, but I just feel like you can be trusted." A small slime appeared on her face. "I don't know what is going on with her, but I need your help to figure it out. Will you help me?"

Summer smiled instantly. "Of course. I'm a huntress, my job is _literally_ to help people. Though I don't know about psychology. Still, I will help with everything I can." Her smile turned a bit wider and her next words were spoken louder. "Huntresses also have very good awareness, enough to notice an illusion and the small spy behind it on the stairs."

I smiled and the sound of shattering glass from the stairs made all of our heads look in that direction. Neo came down the stairs with a smile of her own and trotted towards Summer. Instead of taking a free seat, she moved in front of Sum and sat on her lap. Brid-man and Alma looked surprised, but Summer just let out a giggle and started playing with Neo's hair. Honestly, it was quite funny to look at the scene, since Summer wasn't much taller than her while seated.

"Don't worry. She will keep it secret. Right, Neo?" The girl nodded, raising her palm while doing so. "I will let you have ice-cream for dinner once if you do." Neo's eyes sparkled and she looked at Sum, nodding with such speed that I thought she might break her neck.

Brid-man chuckled at the scene and spoke. "You always knew how to deal with kids, Sum."

When I noticed her smile becoming a bit thinner, I knew he had dug his own trap. "Well, I had to deal with the three of you when we were a team."

The Teasing Demon strikes again! Qrow grumbled something but let it slip. "Whatever." He looked at Alma. "Count me in. I know every bar in Patch. I'll be your guide."

Of course he does. I guess that's where he goes when he is not around. Does he even have a house or does he just live on one of those bars? Questions for later. "I'll go with you. I have nothing better to do." Summer punched me and I sighed. "Fine. Let's go help the hunter that wants to study me. I already had enough with that scientist at the base…"

Ignoring my last comment, Alma smiled. "Thank you. It means a lot to me."

Summer nodded, and not a second later went into complete huntress mode. "Okay. You know Mabel better. Do you think she'll return soon?"

Alma shrugged. "The last time I didn't see her until the next day. But I have no idea."

Summer seemed pensive for a moment. "Okay. Then I think it's better if you stay here to wait." Alma was about to protest, but Sum raised a hand. "I know what you are going to say, but Qrow and I are known around here. With Gore, the three of us are huntsmen, so if anything happens, we can deal with it without anyone calling the police. You don't want Mabel arrested if she made some ruckus, right?"

That shut her up and Summer kept going. "Neo will be here, so if we need your help, we'll call her and tell you what's going on. Meanwhile, we will take a look round Patch and see if we catch a glimpse of her or if anybody has seen her outside."

"Fine, I'll leave this in your hands." Said Alma. "But what do we do when we bring her here?"

"Get her to bed." Answered bird-man almost instantly. "How long has she been gone?"

"She left early in the morning."

"Then she is going to be completely screwed when we get to her, and I will be surprised if she doesn't fall asleep on our way back. When she wakes up, we'll give her something for the headache she will have and something to eat, since I doubts she has eaten anything since she left. When she is more clearheaded we can talk to her."

…

Summer sighed. "Trust him, he talks from experience."

Bird-man smirked and Alma raised an eyebrow. "Should we be worried about him too?"

Sum shoot her head. "Nah, he doesn't have any deep problems. He is just an idiot without a sense of control." He shrugged. "In any case, I think it will be better if we get to it now."

I nodded and we all stood up. The three of us picked our weapons when bird-man told us to. When Summer sent him a worried look, he calmed her down. "We aren't going to use them, but some idiots only stop when they see a weapon."

Summer smirked. "Talking from experience again?"

He shook his head. "Nah. The only thing that stops me is a short skirt."

Neo rose and lowered her shoulders silently, laughing. Summer's cheeks turned red. "Qroooooow!"

I just watched the exchange, extremely confused. Why would a skirt stop him when a weapon didn't?

I wanted to ask about it, but Summer just pushed bird-man outside before giving a hug to Neo. I followed after them, downwards to Patch. I just hoped that we wouldn't have to look all over the settlement. I'd be more worried if it was Vale, but Patch still had several bars in it.

Well, at least I got off Daur's training. That's a win in my book.

* * *

Two hours later, we walked down the street to the next bar. We had been getting in and out of them, asking the owners if they had seen her. You would think that after two hours of walking we would have visited several bars by now. And we did, the thing was that they weren't many in number, but they were spread all around the settlement, which meant that we spent more time between bars than in them.

Bird-man didn't look any more tired than when we began, and Summer was still determined to find Mabel, but I could tell she was getting frustrated. I was just bored. While getting to know Patch was alright, it was becoming quite the hassle to find the missing hunter.

"Were to next?" Asked Summer as we walked down the street.

Bird-man pointed forward. "Just a bit more. I know the guy that runs the place, but it's not the nicest bar. He does everything legally," he assured when Summer sent him a look, "but he just lets in anybody that can pay."

"Isn't that dangerous for him?" I asked.

"Not when you are a retired huntsmen. Anyone that goes overboard is shown the way out."

After a couple more minutes walking, we reached the entrance to the place. From outside, it didn't look that bad, with the entrance relatively clean and with the windows showing several people inside. But I had leant better. After visiting _every single bar around_ , I had started noticing a few patterns. It didn't matter how clean or dirty it was. As long as it served alcohol, people would be inside.

What was with humans and alcohol? I had never tried it, but they seemed almost attracted to it.

We stepped in and I had to hold in a growl. For several reasons, actually. First, it was _crowded_. Like double the people from the rest of the places we had visited. Second, a great amount of people seemed to be chanting and laughing as loudly as they could. Third, half of the people inside were Tamers.

Summer had told me about them and how they had attacked Mags and Daur when they first reached Patch. I wanted to tear the settlement apart until I found them, but Summer and Daur calmed me down. Now that anger was surfacing again.

Good news, we found Mabel.

 _More_ bad news, one of those poor excuses for a human was talking to her.

We were about to approach, but bird-man held us back. "Don't go rushing in. If we piss them off, we'll end up wrecking the place apart."

Sum nodded. "You're right. As much as I don't like these guys, we'll try to do this peacefully."

They turned to me. "I want to punch them. _Hard_. But I'm not an idiot. If there is a fight, I won't kill them." That would only bring more problems to Summer and the rest. "But if things go out of hand, I make no promises." I did want to try my new weapon after all.

They nodded and we moved towards Mabel. "-a beauty like you would enjoy someone like me to take care of her, right?"

"Fuck – hic – fuck off, egg head." Was the slurred response the bald Tamer received.

You know, I'm starting to like her.

Right as the man was about to go for another attempt, bird-man stepped in. "You heard the girl, she doesn't want your company."

That got a glare from the man, just as Mabel turned to us. "You…? What are – what are you doing – hic – here?"

Sum stepped in. "Alma was worried. We're here to get you home."

She eyed Summer almost as if she wasn't there. "A-Alma…?" She looked lost for a moment before answering. "Why… why is she wo – hic – worried?"

While they tried to talk some sense onto her, I watched the Tamer close to us. He looked like he had noticed me and was trying to kill me with his glare. Now, Daur and Sum had taught me a bit about human interactions and how to notice small things some humans do. It was very helpful and I was glad to expand on what I knew. But I also leant from some books and what in this world they called films.

You don't know how much easier and faster is to read now that I have sight!

So, taking from one of those 'films', I answered to his glare by raising my fist and showing him my middle claw. 'Flipping the bird', I believe it's called.

His eyes widened for a second before he bared his teeth at me and turned to a table with his friends. Meanwhile, I was lost in my thoughts. 'Flipping the bird'? Why was it called that? It didn't look like a bird at all. Maybe there is a kind of bird around here that looks like this? I think I should ask Sum later. Well, maybe not her. Daur? I'm not sure he knows either. Maybe Neo? Well, if someone knows-

"I – I won't go home!" The shout from Mabel brought me back to reality. "Not until – hic – I can't remember!"

"Remember what, exactly?" Asked a worried Summer.

There was a silence from Mabel which only added more questions. Bird-man was about to say something, until a voice cut him off. It was then that I realized that the drunk group singing had stopped. "So you are the animal loving bastards that don't want my friend here to have some fun?"

The four of us turned to the group. Seven of them, with the other tables occupied by Tamers sending glares and distasteful expression at us, especially me. Surprisingly, it was bird-man who stepped to try and diffuse the situation. "Hey, pal, we don't want any problems. We're just here to take our friend back home."

The leader, or who I guessed was the leader, stepped forward and pointed a finger to his chest. "I don't want to hear shit from you, you Faunus loving cunt! You can take your two bitches and your pet outside unless you want to have problems."

Does he _seriously_ not see our weapons? I mean, mine was relatively hidden under my wings, but bird-man's was easy to spot and Sum had her swords on her hips. Or was he simply ignoring them?

"How – how much for the damages?" Asked Mabel in a slurry tone to the owner.

He lifted his eyebrow, barely looking at us. His eyes landed on bird-man. "This will go to your tab, Qrow."

Bird-man sighed and shook his head. "Please, let's not-"

A lightning quick punch landed on the face of the leader of the group. On the shock that followed, we looked at the aggressor. "I'm – hic – not a bitch!"

I cracked my neck, and just as another of the people standing turned to us, I punched him in his stomach and sent him backwards with an uppercut. "Finally. You wastes of life tried to harm my sister." Later, Summer would tell me that, even with my helmet on, she could feel how cruel my smile was. "I'm going to make sure you never try again."

 **(Play: Bad Reputation - Joan Jett)**

And all hell broke loose. One of the guys that were standing charged at me while other prepared to throw a punch to my face. I let the punch hit, my smile becoming even wider when I heard the crack of his knuckles on my scales. The other tried to pull out a small knife, but I backhanded him away. While the first guy screamed at his broken knuckles, I grabbed his head and head-butted him.

Daur told me I should get advantage of my hardened scales in cases like this. I was starting to see how right he was.

As two more guys approached me, I looked at my friends. Bird-man was dodging everything they were throwing at him, and he followed by throwing a mug right onto a Tamer's head. Mabel, even with how drunk she was, seemed to be having no problem, as she had two of them lying on the floor unconscious. Meanwhile, Summer ducked under a punch, retaliating with a kick and sending the guy back. Another tried to grab her from behind, but she turned around and-

There was a collective wince from every guy in the bar as Summer's punch landed on the man's… well, you know. I almost felt sorry for him. _Almost_.

Taking advantage from the moment, turned around and grabbed the man by the head. He trashed around, but I lift him up. Just as one of his friends tried to save him by attacking from by back, I twisted around and smashed both of their skulls together. There was a crack and I let the guy dropped unconscious to the ground when I made sure I hadn't broken his neck. Not that I cared, but I was trying to improve my control anyways.

I hastily turned around when I noticed one of them with a sword on his hand charging at me. Maybe a bit too fast, as I punched him away onto another table that wasn't filled with Tamers. With such bad luck that he ended spilling all the drinks on the table. Oops

The men in that table rose up and joined the fight, one of them even charging in with a chair. A couple of seconds later and all the bar was immersed in the brawl. The Tamers were fighting us, we had to deal with them and any drunk that got close, and those same drunks fought everyone else inside. It was complete chaos.

Neo would have loved this. I know I did.

Turning back to the fight, I decided to move closer to where Summer was. Even in all the chaos, she was expertly dealing with everyone around her. She wasn't hard to find, the problem was getting to her. I blocked the punch of some drunk and grabbed his fist, squeezing while his bones cracked. As he screamed, I lift him over me and threw him at a Tamer who had moved behind me.

I loved my feelers.

Moving forwards, I threw another Tamer all the way across the bar when he stood in my way. Another two people fighting skid in front of me on the ground. Picked them up and repeated the 'skull-bonk' move, knocking them out and throwing them out of my way. I managed to reach Summer only having to push a couple more away. When she noticed me, she smiled, but it didn't last long as they widened when looking behind me.

A chair slammed on my head and broke completely. I didn't even flinch and turned to face the attacker. It was the leader Mabel had punched away, and I could see his Aura flickering. Good. I pulled my weapon from my waist, extending it and making his eyes go wide with fear. Instead of cutting down, I grabbed his head with my other hand and brought him a bit closer.

Boop, boop!

The spiked pommel broke his Aura on the second hit and I threw him to a table, breaking it on impact. Collapsing my weapon again, I looked at Summer and shrugged when she raised an eyebrow. "I wanted to test it."

She raised her fist beside her head and smacked another guy behind her on the face. "Fair enough." She focused back on the fight and twisted the arm of a Tamer that tried to stab her. The girl screamed, letting the knife drop, and Summer kicked her in the chin, sending her sprawling to the ground.

I turned around, receiving a sword to the shoulder. The weapon broke, making the Tamer look down at it in surprise, then back at me. Fist to the face and done. I looked around, and when my eyes landed on a barrel, an idea came to mind. Rushing through the crowd, and stopping a woman on getting the drop on Mabel meanwhile, I reached the enormous barrel and smiled.

If humans liked alcohol, they were going to _love_ this.

I reached with both my hands and pulled the barrel up. The fighting stopped for a moment and there was silence. Though I think I could hear the owner sighing and saying something like 'not this again'. Oh well. Aiming at the closest group of people, I threw the barrel at them, and, what do you know, it was filled with beer. Surprise!

The barrel basically exploded and not only them, but most part of the floor was covered in the liquid, making it easy to slip on it. Which made the utterly chaotic scene in the bar turn into a utterly _comedic_ slipping party. People falling left and right, while others even held onto each other to not fall, with… varying results.

After that, though, the fighting started to decay. Most of the Tamers were already downed and those that weren't didn't last much longer. The rest of the bar was even easier to take care of, as they were either drunk, civilians or simply didn't want anything to do with the fight. The last of the Tamers attempted to hit Sum, only to get kicked away, right into my arms, were I held him for Mabel to punch the lights out of him. I dropped him down and had to use one of my wingarms to catch Mabel before she fell to the ground as she lost balance with the punch.

 **(End song)**

Summer wiped her hands off and looked around. The bar was littered in beer, people groaning and knocked out and the splinters of tables, chairs and the barrel I threw. Bird-man had his hands on his pockets, smiling down at a groaning Tamer that had tried to take his flask from him. Mabel was wobbling on place, but almost looked ready to continue. "Well, so much for trying to do this peacefully."

I looked at Summer. "I'm happy with the result." She rolled her eyes but didn't hide her smile. She liked beating bad guys. We all did, honestly.

Mabel stepped past me and wobbled her way back to the bar. "I'm going back to- to drinking."

She was stopped by Summer, who stepped on her way and grabbed her shoulders. "Mabel, I don't think that's the best idea."

Bird-man stepped beside her. "Yeah, lightweight, I think you had enough."

She glared at him but her voice came weak and slurred. "Who- who are you… calling… lightweight…" She slumped onto Summer and fell asleep.

I walked closer and picked her up over my shoulder. She didn't even make a sound. "Well, this'll make it easier to get her home."

Sum pouted. "Don't grab her like that! She's not some sack of Dust! Put your arm under her back and her knees. You know, the 'bridal carry'."

I stared at Summer for a moment, and I didn't need our link to convey what I felt about doing that. I moved to the entrance, ignoring her angered scream as she followed.

* * *

 **/ Qrow P.O.V. /**

Well, this was an utter mess. And that's coming from me. Looking at the ground, I watched as the beer slipped between the cracks on the wooden floor. With a sigh, I pulled my flask out. "What a waste of good beer."

I loved closer to the owner, Hei Xiong, I called his attention. "Hei, can you take care of this?"

The man, one of the best information dealers on Vale, sighed but nodded. It's not as if he didn't make enough money to pay for this bar several times over. "I would make you pay as I said, but those assholes got what they deserved. Besides, I don't want two members of team STRQ having a grudge with me. Junior!" A young man came a few seconds after from a door behind the man. "Get all the brooms and mops out." The boy nodded and went back in.

I nodded. "Great. Think you'll have any trouble making them clean up?"

A voice rose from one of the many people on the ground. "Like hell we are!"

Hei reached from under the counter and brought out the biggest shotgun I had ever seen. "What was that again?"

"We'll clean, we'll clean!"

* * *

 **/ Gore P.O.V. /**

"… so the next time we do a movie night, we should watch 'Grimmsters Inc.'. The girls love it and I think you would enjoy it."

I turned my head to her. "Is this another of those 'cartoons'?"

Summer nodded. "Yup. It's a classic in our house!"

I hummed in thought. The humans in this world had invented _a lot_ of means of entertainment. "I liked the last one we saw. How was it called again?"

"The Incredibilis!" Shouted Summer with happiness.

Bird-man snorted beside me. "You really need to watch something other than cartoons, Sum. That goes for you too, G." He gestured at me. "Something like 'John Tick'. I know you love that film."

"I mean, duh! That film is like a holy script made film for those that appreciate the beauty of weapons." Sum lifted her chin and spoke almost as if this 'John Tick' was some sort item to be adored. "But Ruby and Yang are too young to watch something like that. We could watch it after I send them to sleep, though."

I shrugged. "Fine with me. These 'films' are very entertaining, and a good way to kill time." I was introduced to this 'movie night' thing a while ago, and I discovered another wonder of the humans in this world. I don't think my world was anywhere close to this kind of technology.

Thought it did require a lot of explaining. I stopped trying to understand it and just rolled with it. I know there aren't any 'little people' inside the screen, but the rest is a bit lost on me.

A groan from Mabel brought me out of my thoughts. Bird-man gave a look at my back, where here head was, and hummed. "She's stirring up. I don't think she will stay up long, but it's good we are almost there."

Sure enough, we had made most of the way home already. Walking the last few meters, Sum pulled out the keys and opened the door. Inside, there was a small crowd that turned when they noticed the door opened. I could see Alma pacing back and forth nervously, with Neo trying to calm her down, though it may be a bit too hard without a voice. To my surprise, Ozpin, Daur, Midnight and Icharias were also there, though they seemed more focused on talking between themselves than on Alma's problem.

Said woman, upon noticing her friend passed out on my back, turned from nervous to down right panic. "By the Ancients! Mabel, what happened?! Is she alright?! What happened?!" She had dashed as fast as she could in front of me and I had to take a step back.

Before she could ask any more questions, I raised a hand. "Stop. In order: bar… fight… brawl…?" I looked at bird-man and he nodded. "Okay, bar fight, she's just asleep and… bar fight."

Alma blinked. Then blinked again.

Then shouted right at my face. "A bar fight?! A BAR FIGHT?! How did she- no, how did _you_ get her into that?!"

Summer stepped in. "Calm down and let me explain." Even if her tone was calm, she had a light frown on her face, making it clear that she wouldn't allow her to keep ranting on. "We found her in a bar full of Tamers and _she_ was the one to throw the first punch. Though, the Tamer that got it had it coming a long time ago."

Sum explained the fight as I let Mabel down on the sofa. Neo skipped to my side and poked Mabel on her cheek, making her grumble a bit. Neo smiled and kept poking. "… then she fainted and we brought her here."

I rose up at that. "I was the one carrying her, not _us_!"

Sum deadpanned at me. "You can carry 30 like her without problem. Don't make yourself a martyr." Neo laughed silently and I did _absolutely not_ pout. "In any case, she is perfectly fine. Honestly, I'm surprised how well she fought with how drunk she was."

Alma sighed. "She can hold her alcohol. And… sorry. I just… worry… about her. I didn't want to jump into conclusions."

Bird-man smirked. "Someone cares a lot for her partner. Maybe you two are something more than just partners?"

To everyone's surprise, Alma's cheeks turned into 'full tomato mode' and she looked more distressed than before. "I-I don't know what you are talking about!"

"Unghh…" We looked at Mabel, who seemed to be getting up. "I… how did…"

She was still drunk though. Alma shook her embarrassment off and walked towards Mabel, who didn't oppose resistance when the other girl helped her up and moved her to one of the rooms. Though she uttered something before going out of earshot. "Did- did I ever tell you… how cute you are?"

Alma covered her face immediately, carrying her friend quicker away. Still, that hadn't gone unnoticed. I shared a look with Summer and Neo, and the three of us smirked. Let the teasing begin!

"As entertaining as that last scene was," said Ozpin with a small smirk, which disappeared with his next words, "we have some important matters to discuss."

"The rest are already waiting outside." Daur gestured to the backdoor and we followed. True enough, my sister and Luna were there, in their natural forms. I hadn't realized until now, but finishing my weapon and searching for Mabel had taken out most of the day. We had taken something to eat while on Patch, but it was almost time for dinner.

Time sure does fly when you are punching people.

Stepping outside, my feelers noticed two other people. Daros and… _her_. The moment I stepped out, her eyes landed on me and she sent me a glare, but for some reason, I couldn't help but feel as if this one was… weaker, in a way. Well, if Ozpin and the two Keepers had managed to lessen her hate, then fine. If not, she can glare all that she wants.

In total, we were eleven: Maggie, Summer, Luna, Daur, Daros, Ozpin, bird-man, Midnight, Icharias, Sarah and me. We gathered closer, but not before I picked up the fur pest and sent it inside. Ruby and Yang must still be training with Taiyang on Signal. It was rather common for them to be back at dinner time.

Daur looked at us one by one, then nodded. "Now that we are all here, we can begin. We have called you here because of an important subject: the disappearance of their village." He pointed at Midnight and Icharias. "And how are se going to handle it."

"Ozpin explained me what happened." _She_ spoke. "I… I wouldn't have believed it a couple of years back, but with how the Guild was when I left…"

"Then, does that mean we are all informed of the situation?" I nodded. Mid had explained to us when she came back, and if Ozpin had already told _her_ , then we all knew the same. "Good. Then lets lay out the facts and form a plan."

Daros crossed his arms, and with an angered expression, spoke. "Aye. As much as I would like to burn the entire Guild to the ground, we can't do that right now. When the Seven are back together, then we may plan a counterattack, but for now, we'll go to save ya village."

"We know nothing about the situation of the hostages, so the faster we act, the sooner we can get them to safety." Explained Ozpin. "Normally, a team would be sent out to scout and gather intel, but the situation and circumstances demand that we act now. As such, we'll prepare a strike team to free them and take them to safety."

"We are going." Icharias stepped forward, and his tone left no room for discussion. Not that anyone fought them on that.

Daros nodded. "Aye. Ya two are going ta lead the rest in this mission. And since the lad can transport you both back and forth, ya won't have any problems on that side."

"Before anyone else volunteers, let us make something clear." Said Dalamadur. "There are three of us with Silver Eyes, and the only one that has moved between worlds more than once here is Icharias. The strain on someone's soul just to cross between is incredible, more so when carrying an Inferior or Elder with them. To transport either Daros or me would take the three of you and it would leave you exhausted for a long period of time, hence why we will stay here."

"And I have a school to run. As much as I would like to be an ambassador from this world and help on this mission, I will leave this task to others." Added Ozpin, sending a glance to Summer.

"Then I am going too." We all turned to _her_. Well, this was a surprise. "I want to know what the hell is going on back there. Kidnapping people? That's not what hunters do." She looked at Summer's waist, where alongside her weapons, she carried the one she took out from me. "But I'm going to need that back. And if you want me to, I'll bring somebody else with me."

"You won't need to worry about that. Gore's new weapon also has the Essence in it." Explained Summer, while I patted that same weapon. "Will it matter that it is mixed with another metal?"

Daur stepped forward and gestured to my weapon. I handed it to him and he seemed to focus for a moment. Seconds passed with his eyes closed. He opened them and handed it back with a nod. "It will be enough."

"Then we are going." Said Summer. I looked at the two most affected by this. Midnight had helped me a lot in adjusting to this new form, and I still owed her a battle. And Icharias was a great help in making my new weapon.

They were my friends. Hmm. I never thought I would say that referring to a hunter. "We still have to do a rematch from last time." Mid perked up at this. "But family and friends come first. We will get them back."

Ozpin nodded. "Then that makes four. We still have one more pair that can go." He turned to my sister and Luna. "By process of elimination, one of you must go." He turned to bird-man. "Unless you want to accompany them?"

"Nah. Don't get me wrong, I would like to help. But with Sum leaving, someone's gotta help Tai with the girls. Plus, I also have a job at Signal."

"If you would like my advice," said Dalamadur, "I recommend that Luna goes. While Maggie has a lot of power, it will give the group some more variety and she will be more inconspicuous than a Shagaru Magala." He looked at Luna. "Well, as inconspicuous as a Lunastra can be…"

Luna huffed but didn't say anything. My sister looked a bit dejected at being told not to go, so I decided to go to her. "Don't worry, sis. You'll get your chance. Besides, I don't think they will be able to handle Neo if you leave."

She smiled a bit at that. Letting out a sigh, she nodded. The next words from her were directed at Luna. "[If something happens to him…]"

Luna, instead of being afraid, just rolled her eyes. "[Yeah, yeah. Tell me a threat I haven't heard.]"

I couldn't hold a small chuckle at that. When I nodded to Ozpin, he smiled. "Then the team is settled. But since this will be a dangerous mission, I believe all of you will be needing some… assistance." He flared his Aura and looked at Mid and Icharias. "I think it is time you had your Auras unlocked."

 _She_ raised her hand. "He already got mine unlocked. It feels like a rush! You totally should do it."

"As should Luna." Added Dalamadur. "But I recommend that it be Gore the one to unlock hers and Midnight's, due of the difference between our souls."

Summer groaned. "Yes, I will even teach you. But I don't want a repeat from what happened to me."

They all looked at me. "Um… I suppose I could. I don't have anything against it. Just tell me how and I'll do it."

"Then it's settled." Said Daur. "Tomorrow we will make preparations for the mission and you will depart as soon as you are ready."

Icharias spoke. "I think I have an idea where they may have taken our people. You can't transport so many of them and not be noticed, but there are some ruins of an old city close to where our village was. I'm almost sure they are there."

"Aye. Take tonight to rest and prepare." Suddenly, he let out a boisterous laugh. "But enough of this somber mood! Lets prepare a party for our soon-to-be heroes!"

Daur sighed as the rest of us laughed. "Ancients give me strength…"

* * *

 **A.N.: that bar fight turned out to be longer than I expected. But I like the end result. We'll see more about Mabel's problem later on, but next chapter will be all of it on the rescue of the village. With luck, I won't go overboard and won't have to cut it in two chapters.**

* * *

 **Omake! Pokémon part 1!**

"Unnghh…" Summer groaned while she rubbed her head. She opened her eyes, and after blinking a few times, she cleared her vision to a blue sky. Noticing she was laying down, she sat up slowly. "Where…?"

Her eyes went wide when she noticed the person lying beside her. "Gore!" She crawled quickly and shook him awake, making him groan too. "Are you alright?"

Recovering a bit quicker than her, the dragon in human form nodded. "I think so. Where are we?"

"Oh, I can answer that question!" Said a voice none of the two recognized. They whirled around and found the source. Floating mid-air was a human, or what _seemed_ like a human. The figure sat cross-legged, floating as if gravity meant nothing to it. The figure wore a long, beautiful robe, black with brilliant white lines on the outside and flowing all around the piece of clothing, creating an enticing contrast. The parts that his robe didn't cover, the feet and hands, shown to be fully armored in a dark-grey armor. A cape that almost reached the ground, following the same pattern as the robe, had some strange effect and almost looked like it was decomposing and regenerating at the end, making small wisps of darkness and light fly off from it.

But the most striking part of this being was its face. Or rather, lack of it. Where its head should be, only literal shadow existed, covered by the hood of the robe. Inside of that darkness, two eyes made of literal white fire shined like stars in a deep night. And even with the lack of face, Gore and Summer could feel the amusement and interest this being had on them.

"I know, I know. I'm dashing." The being said, with a mock, clearly male, voice. "But seriously, you should check on your friends. They should be right, but this kind of thing can affect people differently…"

Hearing about their colleagues, the two scanned their surroundings and noticed that, as the being said, several of their friends were lying around, in a similar state they had been only seconds ago. The being didn't stop them as they went around waking their friends up and helping them to their feet.

Apart from the first two, Midnight, Luna, Maggie, Daur and Daros also were in the small path that they had appeared.

When they had made sure everybody was fine, the being spoke again. "Finally! You know, the next time we do this, I'll just wake you up myself. They're not babies, they're fine." The being waved his armored hand and looked away with bored eyes.

For a lack of face, he could express his emotions rather clearly.

Summer, not having the same nonchalant attitude about the situation, scowled. "Who are you? Where are we?"

The being tapped his chin (the group could barely see a form similar to a head inside of the darkness) a couple of times. "The first one… will have to wait. The second one, though, I can answer. Though wouldn't you also know why I brought you here?"

The serpent Elder, getting a weird feeling from the being, decided to be cautious. "So you brought us all here. I had a feeling with you floating around and… being the only other being here."

The being nodded. "Yeah, not like I made it hard for you. In any case, you are in the world of Pokémon and you are here to amuse me!"

The cheery tone and his confusing words made Summer blink. "Poke-what? And what do you mean we are here to amuse you?"

The being rubbed the back of his hood. "I guess I should be a bit more clear." He cleared his voice. "I am a God. Big-G one. Like, world sized 'G'. And I. Am. _Booooored_. So I decided to look around the multiverse a bit and see what I could do. And lucky me, I found you! I saw your past, present and future and decided to pluck you off your world… _s_ to have a multiverse adventure for my amusement!"

Summer's glare became even harder. "So you just abused your power and took us away from our friends and family, just so you could have _fun_?"

The being deadpanned at her. "Sweetheart, your glares can't do _shit_. I became immune to them a couple of hundred years after marrying." He raised his hand and showed a pure gold ring on his finger. Giving it a once over, he smiled (and somehow, they knew he was smiling). "Ya know, I should really thank Sauron more for this. He really does some _amazing_ rings." He shook his head. "Getting carried away. Basically, yeah, that's the gist of it."

Not having any of this, Gore walked up to the being and pointed a finger to his chest. "You _will_ send us home _right now_." In answer, the being raised an eyebrow (how was he doing that?!). With a sigh, he snapped his fingers and Gore found himself back beside Summer. Everyone went wide eyed. "What the-?!"

"And I didn't need some stones and a gauntlet to do that." He said, and Summer could tell she was missing something, like some sort of reference she didn't get. "Now, shut up and listen. I would like to do this without, you know, threatening to 'destroy your whole universe' and whatnot. Think we can do this reasonably?"

Summer and Mid were about to answer with some _very clear_ words, when Daur stopped them. "Wait." He turned to the being. "Correct me if I'm wrong, but if we were to fight you, we would be signing our own death sentence, right?"

The being smiled. "If we were to fight, I would make it as epic and over-the-top as possible, but the ending would be decided since before we even started this conversation." He shook his head. "But lets leave that for another day, okay?"

Summer, noticing that the being wasn't joking about that, sighed. "So to get back to our world, or universe, or whatever, we have to play your stupid game?"

"Ehhh, not precisely." He said. "This is just _one_ of the several universes I have planned to send you in. But before you all jump your weapons, let me make clear two things: first, your own universe is _stopped_. Nothing will occur while you are out, and you won't age no matter how much time you spend out here. Second, while you travel the different places I send you to, you will find the chance to help different people and beings, and not all of them will be black or white. What you do _will affect the universe you are in_."

There was a small relief on knowing that their friends and family were fine, but there were still many questions. "Geez, you all really are curious. Fine, I _guess_ I could lay you out some rules: you can do whatever you please in each universe, but you will have to follow each universe's rules, at least a tad bit. You will be in each universe for about 1 to 3 omakes, depending on how long you take to make things."

"1 to 3 what?"

The being facepalmed. "Right, forgot to not break the 4th wall. You'll stay in each universe for as long as I see fit or when you have finished what would basically be the main adventure of each universe."

Mid crossed her arms. "And if we decide to not do anything?"

The being shrugged. "Then I will send you back to your universe before unleashing hell on it, making all your loved ones suf-" He groaned and facepalmed again. "Argh, I need to tone it down on the threats."

"I can get their usefulness," said Gore, "but I _won't_ be a target of them."

The being rolled his eyes. "Sure, sure." The being stood on his feet, turning out to be even a bit taller than Daur. "Listen, we are going to start boring the readers. I'll give you the run down version of this universe: pokémon: beings with different, forms, abilities and powers that work alongside humans in different matters, like fighting, building, even studying!" And enormous illusion appeared behind the being, showing thousands upon thousands of different beings, making the group step back in awe. The illusion disappeared and a belt with strange spherical objects appeared on Summer, making her look down at her waist. "And to follow on this universe's rules, all of you Elders are now classified as such, and humans capture and train them with these pokeballs. A human can only carry six, hence why the six of you will be accompanying Summer. So I recommend you transform and get inside before someone comes. Oh, and human here lack Aura, so be careful with hitting them."

The group kept glancing at the balls when Daur turned and asked a final question. "Will you tell us now your name?"

The being hummed. "I'm basically Q from Star Trek for you, but I doubt you get it. And I can't call myself N for mystery because here is someone in this world already named that, so I guess you can call me Necro." A sigil appeared behind the being and created a portal. "Welp, I'm off. Have fun!"

"Wait-" But the portal had already closed. Summer sighed. "I don't normally say this, but I think I need an outlet." She inhaled deeply. "FUUUUU-"

* * *

 **Not much about pokémon in here, but this was more an introduction to the series that will make the omakes for the foreseeable future.**

 **Reviews!**

 **proiu: thanks! I hoped it didn't disappoint!**

 **Gnaw55617: you're welcome! And maybe you're right. I rather have the Magalas. And as of now, the Kushala is just a plot device. Not every monster will be a character.**

 **darkvampirekisses: she needs all the Ruby hugs!**

 **98kazer: we shall see. Not any time soon, though. And Luna wouldn't like some Teostra just burning the humans she now cares about.**

 **Scurra71900: you're welcome!**

 **brave kid: thank you.**

 **RabidArmenian: that I've been told. Maybe I'll give it a read if I can. And yes, Gore can look a bit edgy. Not the SPOOON, not the SPOON! And life seems to be getting better, so yay me!**

 **Knightwolf1875: thank you!**

 **OmegaUltima: I mean, yeah. He could do what he wanted when he wanted. But that wouldn't put him in a very good light on Remnant. And the panic would only bring Grimm, which would make him look even worse.**

 **Raltol Lotlar: I get you. If the monsters from MH were as weak as some people write them to be, there would be no need for people to cluster up in cities and towns.**

 **Dr. Posh: maybe, but again, I can't show** _ **every**_ **Elder. It would clog the story and I don't want that.**

 **Marshallboy99: now** _ **that's**_ **an interesting encounter. It would be fun to have her and other WF members freak out so much they faint.**

 **Omnisaurus: HELL YEAH!**

 **I hope you enjoyed!**

 **Have a great day!**


	30. Chapter 28: Rescue: part 2

**A.N.: hello there! Really, really sorry I took so long in posting this chapter. I'm moving to a new house and packing my things left me running on fumes. And I still haven't finished. But I will try to keep up updating on Sunday in the coming weeks.**

 **Without further adieu, chapter time!**

* * *

 **Black Dragon, White Rose**

 **Chapter 28**

 **Rescue: part 2**

 **/ Summer P.O.V. /**

"… _and by my shoulder, protect thee."_ Gore's Aura shined, and it wasn't the only one. Following his dark purple, the fiery blue from Luna shone alongside it, creating a gust of heated air that almost send us flying away, but not Gore

And I totally _did not_ pout when he didn't go flying. Not fair!

Though, I could always set some small explosives latter on…

In any case, things on the Aura side of things had gone without a hitch. I had explained how to awake Auras to Gore and he took care of Midnight and Luna. Daur and Daros didn't activate theirs because it would exhaust whoever did it to the point of fainting. And that if the person awaking it was an Elder. A human most probably would die, and since they weren't in any hurry, we decided to leave them for another time.

I scanned the two Elders with their Auras. Midnight seemed focused on activating it on her arm, with little success. Luna was looking all over herself as the color receded back into her form.

If Maggie's form was like a queen that stepped on the battlefield, Luna dressed like a duchess from a fairy tale. The light blue dress that covered her form was longer on the back of her legs while the front reached a bit further than the knees. The entire dress shined with the scales it was made of, and while it left more skin exposed, it also looked like it was made to move quicker than Maggie's. Her two wings protruded from her back and reached up almost to the height of her head.

Her hair was pure black with several blue strands reaching to the end of her hair, which stopped right below her shoulder blades. Her eyes were a beautiful shade of yellow and they seemed to pierce right through you.

Honestly, if she were to walk down the streets of Vale, she would draw all kinds of faces towards her. Especially from men.

Gore let out a tired sigh. "Well, that's that. Was it that tiring when you did the same to me?"

I shook my head. "Worse. You didn't fly several meters because their Aura exploded."

I could tell that he was glaring at me now. "You're not going to let that go, are you?"

"Nope." I said, popping the 'p'.

"So," we turned to Midnight, "this is it, huh? I must admit, it _does_ feel good. You also said we now have a Semblance, right?"

Ozpin answered. "Yes, but it might take time to find it. And right now, we can't afford the luxury of waiting for the two of you to discover it. With some luck, you might discover it before you need to engage in combat."

"There's hoping." Answered Midnight. "But he is right. I think it will be best if we all go to rest for tomorrow."

"Agreed." I said. Suddenly, I realized I had forgotten something. "Oh, fruit baskets! I still need to make dinner!"

"Don't worry!" Came a voice from inside the house. Tai poked his head from the window. "I saw you were doing something important and decided to save you the trouble."

Then, Ruby, Yang and Neo also poked their heads out. "And we are helping!"

I smiled, but it vanished when I saw the black smoke coming from the kitchen. "Um, guys…"

They all turned around and Tai had to run in shouting. "The meat!"

"Our dinner!" The three girls went back inside and I couldn't help but giggle at that for a while. I seriously needed to teach Tai how to cook something else than premade food.

"I guess that means we are going fishing." Said Gore, stepping beside me.

I smiled, still looking at the chaos that had erupted in the kitchen. "Sorry, time went by and I completely forgot." What do you know, the big, bad dragon turned out to enjoy my cooking, even if it meant I had to prepare triple the size for him.

"Don't worry. I still have energy left for a little fishing." He shrugged. "Besides, you already have enough with those four."

I smiled. "Ruby has gotten some skill from me, but they are all still klutz in the kitchen." With another laugh, I stepped forward. "They are _my_ klutzs, though."

It was time for chef Summer to assume complete control over the kitchen before the four of them burn our food for the week.

Or the entire house.

After vanishing the four from my kitchen and preparing dinner, the rest of the night passed in a blink. The next morning came quickly and we all gathered in the backyard. Ruby, Yang and Neo were still sleeping. Or pretending to, in Neo's case. I could see the two mismatched eyes looking at me with worry from one of the windows of the house.

I winked at her with a smile and joined the others. Ozpin had returned to Beacon and Qrow had left after dinner, but apart from them, we were all gathered. I passed by Sarah, tapping her in the shoulder and handing her the sword. She nodded and we all waited in silence until Daur spoke.

"I am sorry I cannot accompany you in this mission." He said with a heavy tone. "But I trust that you all will be able to come back safe and sound."

"Aye." Daros also had a serious tone. Maybe he was still disappointed that we had to cancel the goodbye party, as everyone was either to nervous or tired to try anything of the sort. "Ya know what ya have to do, but keep each other safe."

We all looked at each other and nodded. "We will." It seemed as if Gore and Sarah were willing to work together for now, so that was one problem less.

Daur seemed to be lost in thought for a moment, his eyes close. When they opened, it was almost like a window to a hellish inferno. A sudden pressure ran through the entire clearing. "If you find the traitor, _do not_ hesitate in killing him." He turned to Midnight. "Do I make myself clear?"

There was a tense silence in the air as Midnight looked down, her hair covering her face. It must have been hard for her to hear that, even if she already knew he was a traitor. "I said, did I make myself-?"

"Yes." It came in a weak voice, but there was a steel resolve behind it. Whether it was because she had agreed, or not, was something I didn't know.

Daur seemed to think the same as he sighed. "Very well." When he turned back to us, the pressure on the clearing lifted and it all seemed to return to normal. "Good luck."

Daros nodded at his side, and that was all the signal we needed. I stepped closer to Gore as he pulled his weapon and exposed the handle for me to grab beside him. Luna moved to stand close to Sarah, grabbing the weapon as well, followed by Icharias and Midnight doing the same with his greatsword.

Then, the human in each pair begun the chant. We weren't sure if it was needed or it was just a way to concentrate on the Essence, but we didn't have time to experiment. As I kept talking, the light from the three weapons covered the entire clearing. Even when I closed my eyes, I could still feel the warm heat emanating from it. It didn't burn, but it was still there.

And then, darkness followed light.

* * *

 **/ Gore P.O.V. /**

I was woken up later by Midnight, and made sure I was fine. It was a lot less painful when you didn't have a sword on your armpit. When I nodded to her, she went to Luna and _her-_ _Sarah_ to wake them up too. I would put my hate aside, but that didn't make us friends.

Turning my attention to summer, I shook her gently to wake her up. "Mmngh, 5 more minutes…" She grabbed my weapon as if it was some sort of plushy and smiled. I don't know what kind of dream she was having but I was seriously regretting not having a-.

I stopped. Smiling, I reached for her pocket, pulling the device and opening it. After a few seconds of fumbling, I managed to get a picture and put it back where I took it. I heard a snort from my side and looked at Icharias, who had moved by my side. "Mid was the same when we had to wake up for training early in the mornings."

"I was not!" Shouted said girl, while still helping Sarah regain her senses.

"Well, I had my fun." With that done, I tapped a bit harder on her shoulder and she yawned before opening her eyes slowly. She snapped up a second later.

"Did- did we make it?" She looked at the clearing we had ended up upon when I nodded.

I extended my and and helped her to her feet. "Yep. We just need to know _where_ in my world we have landed."

The remaining three stepped beside us while Summer kept looking around. "Do you think there's a relation between where we leave and where se land?"

I shrugged. "I have no idea. Best if someone flies up and sees if-"

I stopped as my feelers kept mapping the area around us and I noticed something familiar. "Wait here."

I stepped forwards and transformed, launching into the air. Moving south, I laid eyes on what my feelers had noticed. The Ancestral Steppe. My old home, and funnily enough, this was the first time I was actually _seeing_ it. I once felt like this place was home, but now… it was just some place I lived in. I didn't feel like I belonged.

What did surprise me was the presence of nothing less than a Rathian and a Rathalos on the nest up in the Steppes. It may no longer be my home, but it was still _my_ territory. And now that I had returned, it was time to reclaim it, if only just because of pride.

And because those two would be a pain to deal with for us if our group moved closer.

Instead of jumping in and wasting my energy on them, I flew low and, by the time they noticed me, I was already reaching their nest. I descended as they roared at me, and I couldn't help but feel a bit sorry. But we had a mission and these two were on our way.

So with that thought in mind, I roared at the top of my lungs, blocking their own sounds, and reaching to every corner of the Steppes. Before they could react, I charged my Virus and fired at the Rathian. She was too slow and got hit by it. The Rathalos jumped up at me, but I grabbed his head and throw him back down, firing another ball of my Virus.

Then, I simply flew back and watched as the two former lovers tore each other apart. By the time they finished, we would have already left. I returned quickly to my group and landed on the clearing. "[I know where we are. We have appeared close to my old home, the Ancestral Steppe. But I don't know where your village is, so you will have to guide us]"

Midnight nodded and started talking with Icharias. Meanwhile, Summer stepped forwards to me. "What took you so long?"

' _I had to deal with… unwanted guests.'_ She raised an eyebrow but didn't comment on it as the other two returned.

"Okay, we have to head south-east from here. It would be at least three days of walking nonstop, but being able to fly we might reach by nightfall." Explained Midnight. "But I don't have the same stamina as you two, so we may have to do a spot before we reach the ruins."

Oh, right. Nargacugas and Tigrex are extremely agile on land, but not so good at flying. "[Fine with me. Luna?]"

She seemed surprised by being included in the conversation. She transformed, stretching and looking at us. Her attitude returned a second later. "[If she needs it, then I guess we have to.]"

"Good. Then I think it will be best if each human flies with their partner." They all nodded and Summer turned to me. "Well, partner. Ready to go?"

I smiled and lowered myself, and with a use of her Semblance, she appeared on my back. The rest readied themselves, and we waited for Midnight to jump up to start following.

And even though we had already done this countless times, Summer still screamed from happiness as we flew. Same couldn't be said about Sarah, though, who was holding herself as tight as she could to Luna. Said elder was smirking cruelly at the fear of her rider.

I guess not everyone was made to fly.

* * *

We indeed had to make a stop. When we landed, Icharias explained that we were more or less halfway there, and that we should use this stop to rest a bit as well. I felt fine, and Luna seemed alright as well, but being well rested was never something bad. Especially since we were going to have to find and save an entire village.

Ironic. I went from destroying towns and villages to saving them. How life changes in a couple of months.

The three of us had decided to remain in our normal forms, so we occupied most of the clearing, while our partners started a fire at the center, away from the trees. We were avoiding the roads for obvious reasons, especially those that connected the several towns and villages that were on the land.

Mid took this time to sleep and I noticed that Luna was still away from the rest, her eyes open but lost. With a sigh, I got up and walked to sit beside her. "[So, what is the little princess thinking so hard about?]"

She growled and looked at me. "[I told you not to call me that, you eyeless pest.]"

We stood silent for a few seconds, until I spoke again. "[Why are you like this?]"

She stared at me, confused, before taking a look at herself. "[I mean, I was born and then grew up and-]"

I didn't know if she was serious with that statement or not. "[Not that, you brainless fire with wings. I meant the way you behave.]" She raised an eyebrow and I continued. "[The people around you right now care about you and consider you a friend.]" I stayed silent for a moment, thinking about Sarah, and Midnight and my sister to a lesser extent. "[Okay, maybe not _everyone_ considers you their friend, but we all care about you to some degree. So why do you keep behaving as, and thank the Ancients Ruby isn't here with her swear jar, a bitch.]"

"[First of all, what the hell is a 'bitch'?]" She asked with a frown.

I shrugged. "[I dunno. I heard it as an insult, I think referring to someone's behavior, but I think it fits you.]"

She was holding a growl, I could tell. "[Whatever. That you think I'm not behaving as I should doesn't matter to me. If I want to be like this, there's nothing you can do to stop me.]"

I looked away. "[You're right. I can't stop you.]" I loved when I made her so confused. "[But behaving like you do right now won't help you in the long run. That you aren't killing humans left and right is, admittedly, progress. But it's not the final step. What harm could it bring to behave a little more nicely?]"

She sputtered, almost as if I had insulted her whole existence. "['What harm could it bring?' I'll tell you how much harm it would do. It would… um… I wouldn't…!]" She kept pondering while I held in a laugh. Finally, after what I could only assume was a lot of thought she spoke again. "[At least, this way, I'm not weak!]"

…

Really? _That_ was her response? "[Listen, behaving like that doesn't make you stronger. It just makes you more distant from people. Trust me, I know. I wasn't exactly like you, but being like this won't help in the long run.]" She was still holding her frown, but she was paying attention. "[I'm not asking you to start hugging each person you come across, or to change who you are completely. I told you before, it takes time. But…]" Ancients, I can't believe I'm about to say this. "[I enjoy much more our conversations when you show me how you truly are.]"

There was a few seconds of silence, as her eyes widened. Then, out of nowhere, she blushed like a tomato and looked away. Oh, Ancients, what now? A small voice answered me. "[Do… do you really mean it?]"

Okay, Gore, clear answer. Let's not make this weirder than it already is. "[Yes.]"

"Hey, guys, we are ready to leave!" Ancients bless you, Summer! I think humans called that being 'saved by the bell'.

I stood up and walked to them as quickly as I could without running. "[W-wait for me!]" Luna ran behind me. "[You promised me you wouldn't leave me behind, remember?]"

I sighed. "[Yes, I remember. And I intend on keeping my word.]" Awkward situation or not, a promise is a promise.

She harrumphed and allowed Sarah to climb to her back. "[You better.]"

I rolled my head a bit as Summer climbed on top of my back. I will admit, though, I would find it weird if Luna stopped behaving like she always did.

Not that she would ever hear me say that.

* * *

Night had almost fallen by the time we reached the outskirts of the ruins Icharias talked about. I was expecting something of the size of a town, maybe a bit bigger. Turns out, they were the ruins of an old city, and that city, while not Vale-sized, seemed to have been able to hold thousands of people inside. Now, it was nothing more than a few old rocks stacked upon each other.

Which would explain my surprise when my feelers picked up on human life down there.

After I told this to Summer, we landed on the outskirts, covered by the night. Honestly, I doubt they would see either of us: Mid and I were basically black forms against a black night sky, and Luna's blue passed unnoticed at the height we were, but we rather not risk it.

We transformed back to human form and gathered around to form a plan. "Where are the guards?" Asked Summer.

"The two of them are close to one of the few buildings that actually has a roof. I haven't felt anybody else, and that building barely looks big enough to hold a family, less an entire village." I answered.

Summer shook her head. "We'll cross that bridge when we reach it. For now, our best bet is to gain information."

Midnight crossed her arms. "I suppose you have a plan."

"Yep." She said with a smile. "We don't know who these people are, but I think we all know they are not going to answer our questions if we ask nicely. For now, we should move close and listen. If we need it, we will jump at them and interrogate them."

We all nodded and moved inside the city. I guided them to the guards and Summer made sure we were hidden enough to not call any attention. Not too hard since the only source of light from all this city were the two torches on the wall behind the guards. Honestly, even without my feelers, we would have been able to see the light at the first glance. I'm surprise they haven't been attacked by an Inferior or an Elder by now.

As we came nearer, I could faintly hear the voices of the two guards. We stayed on the shadows, but we divided ourselves in order to be more inconspicuous. Sum and I stayed at the side of the building we had arrived, while Mid and Icharias climbed on top of the roof. Luna and Sarah moved to the other side through the back of the ruined building.

"… weird as hell. Should we really be trusting the Guild? I mean, they went from hunting us to giving us weapons and armor. They even became our bosses!"

The other guard, who seemed to think for a moment, asked back. "Was that a pun?"

"What?"

"You know, the thing about the Guild 'hunting' us?"

The first guard facepalmed. "Out of all that I have been saying, _that_ is what you are curious about?!"

The other shrugged. "Hey, man, I just found it funny. Besides, did no one ever told you about not looking a gift Aptonoth in the mouth?" The guard laid back against the ball behind him. "Relax, everything will be fine."

The second guard looked at the floor and kicked at a small rock, grumbling. "That's just another way of jinxing it…"

If only they knew.

Realizing we weren't going to get any more from them without giving them a push, Summer signaled to Mid and Icharias. The pair nodded, and a second later, they jumped down on the guards and knocked them unconscious. The rest of us came out and Summer spoke. "Good job. Now we just need to wake one up and get some answers."

While she and Midnight tied up the two of them, I saw that the two hunters on our group were staring intently at our prisoners. I walked up to them. "Something wrong?"

It was Icharias who answered. "That armor is a basic set for many hunters that are just starting in the Guild. But by the way they spoke, they don't appear to be inscribed as such."

"But why would the Guild hand armors and weapons to random people? It makes no sense." Added Sarah. But Icharias shook his head.

"I don't think they are just 'random people'."

After making sure they weren't going anywhere, Summer nodded to us and we stood around one of the two. She kneeled down and hummed. "I… actually don't know how to wake him up. Should I slap him? I mean, that's what I do with Qrow when he gets too drunk…"

"Then how about this?" Mid stepped closer, making Summer move away. Before we knew what she was doing, she raised her feet and slammed it down on his-

…

Ouch. Icharias and I both winced. I may not have those… parts, but I sure know how much it hurts from seeing it happen. Several times, actually.

His scream of pain was muffled when Midnight reached with her hand and covered his mouth. After a few seconds of groaning, he glared at us. "You will pay for that, you-"

He cut off as he realized that, a) he was surrounded, b) the human he was speaking too had wings on her arms and c) we were all armed to the teeth. "Glad to have you back." Said Midnight with a smirk. "Now, sing for us."

He may not have sang, but he started spilling everything when we asked. Turns out, they _do_ have their village here, although things weren't as simple as that.

Icharias was right, these weren't hunters, they were bandits. As far as I remember, there are very few of them here, simply because it usually doesn't pay off. Most villages had a hunter with them, and while they had forbidden to raise their weapons against humans, Icharias explained that there were situations that the Guild would overlook.

Like a bandit attack.

The bandit explained that a group of weird hunters had approached their camp and struck a deal with them. They would give them weapons, armor and resources if they helped them take down a village. Their leader didn't like it but it was either that or being killed by the hunters, so they accepted.

It's not hard to guess which village they attacked.

Curiously enough, they also asked to take everyone alive. With the village unprepared and having a feast for some reason, it wasn't hard to round them all up and threaten with killing the hostages if those that were missing didn't appear. They were even aided by a strange guy that told them the layout of the town and made sure everyone in the town was under their grasp.

The bandit even said that he saw they guy launch a thunderbolt like it was nothing, which confirmed our suspicions on the identity of the man.

The people were chained and taken here, to some sort of bunker/mine that reached under the mountains close to the ruins, but they didn't tell them why or what they were doing down there. And since the guy didn't know the layout of the inside of the place, we knocked him out again and proceeded inside.

True enough, there was a hatch on the floor, which led inside the ground. After knocking down a door (and the two guards behind it), we were faced with a single, wide hallway, made out of the rock of the mountain, which went forward, illuminated only by torches.

"Well, that isn't eerie at all." Commented Summer, clear sarcasm in her voice.

We proceeded forward, and it turned out that the tunnel was far longer than we expected. After several minutes of twists and turns, we came to a fork in the tunnel guarded by four other people.

Which seemed a bit more competent than their fellows as they spotted us as we walked towards them. "Hey! What ae you doing here?! Your shift doesn't end until a few more hours!"

But we were still too far away to be seen completely.

Summer nodded to me and the two of us rushed them as quickly as we could. Counting that we both had Aura, I was able to propel myself forward like a bullet and Summer had her Semblance, we were on them in little less than a few seconds.

"What the-?!" He didn't get to finish that sentence as Summer hit him so hard that he ended up slamming towards the wall between two of the pathways. I punched the guy closest to me in the chin, making him fly up against the ceiling, hit it, and come down unconscious, but with a few broken bones.

The woman in front of me reacted quicker than I thought and slashed with her sword at my chest. I would have done _something_ , if not for the fact that I knew the sword wouldn't even scratch my Aura. It didn't break like the one that guy at the bar was using, but it did ping off, making the woman loose her balance. I took the chance, grabbed her by the face and smashed her against the ground.

Just as I got up, the last guy went flying before me to the wall and landed face first. He slid down with a groan, but didn't move an inch afterwards, only the rise and fall of his chest signaling that he was alive.

The rest of our group joined us a second later. Sarah looked up at the ceiling. "Huh, he left a teeth and some blood up there."

I looked up.

…

Well, good luck getting it back down.

"Okay, guys, focus." Summer called our attention and turned to the three different tunnels in front of us. "We have three options. Gore, do you sense anything?"

I closed my eyes and hummed. The tunnels weren't as long as the one we just went through, but I couldn't sense the end of them. "I can't sense anything. But," I pointed at the leftmost tunnel and the middle one. "I can feel my hairs move through those, which means there is a current of air."

"Exits to the surface!" Exclaimed Mid, getting what I was saying.

Summer nodded, closing her eyes. "In that case… yes." She opened them. "Okay. I know it sounds cliché but we should split up. We will cover more ground and we will rendezvous here once we find something. Seeing as how we are six and there are three tunnels, we will keep our pairs and stick close." Her tone took a on a more serious note. "Do not engage unless completely necessary. And if you find the hostages, come back here and search for the others."

"But-" Before Midnight could complain, Summer cut her off.

"No. We are already risking a lot by dividing ourselves. I know you want to save them, but you two can't protect an entire village while guiding them out of this place. We are doing this just to recon the place." She pointed at the one on her right, the one without current. "Gore and I will take this one. Seeing as how I'm the most experienced in dealing with humans here, I will have less problem if we have to fight inside the tunnels. And Gore is basically a tank in his human form, so I doubt he will have much trouble either."

She then pointed at the central one. "Sarah, Luna, you will take this one. And Mid and Icharias the other. If these tunnels lead to the surface, it's better if you take them. Luna fights better with her normal form and if the tunnel stretches, you might have trouble wielding your weapon, Icharias."

She pulled out her scroll and set a timer. "I will set this to 15 minutes. When it goes off, Gore and I will return and go through the middle tunnel, unless you two have already returned." He signaled to Luna and Sarah. "In which case we will go through the last tunnel. Same goes to you two." She pointed at the last pair. "If the four of you come here and we haven't come back, head through our tunnel. This way we'll spend less time divided in smaller groups and we will reunite as soon as possible. Everyone got it?"

We all nodded in agreement and she smiled. "Good. Remember, try not to engage, stick to the shadows and don't do anything stupid."

The four of them went quickly on their ways and we did the same on our own tunnel. I turned my head to Summer. "You know, I had forgotten you were a team leader before."

"Hey!"

I chuckled. "But you are really good at it."

Her cheeks reddened a bit, but she was smiling nonetheless. "Aw, shucks."

* * *

 **/ Icharias P.O.V. /**

I had a bad feeling about this.

And I don't think I was the only one. Ever since we entered the caves, everyone had been quiet, compared to the usual chaotic way of living we had in Remnant. Mid and I were worried about our village, and _who_ we might encounter, Summer was trying her best to lead us, but I can tell she and Gore are also worried about something, although I can't tell what.

I haven't got a good read on Luna just yet, but she seems the calmest about this. Her partner, however…

I had seen hunters like her, driven by revenge or spite against the monsters. They are first to die. And if by some miracle they end up surviving, they become empty husk of themselves. For a hunter, revenge or hate cannot be our main motivators, for we might end up forgetting what we are really fighting for. It would be hypocritical of me to say to not search for revenge, as I have done it before, but people, especially hunters, can't let that guide their weapons.

Which is why I was worried about Sarah. I can see it in her eyes: the hate and spite. But she can still turn around and search for a better path. It may be hard, but I can tell that headmaster Ozpin is a good influence on her. The man is wise beyond his age, and if there is someone that can help her realize her mistake, it's him.

Hmm. Maybe Mid is right, I do tend to act as a teacher of sorts.

We kept moving quickly through the tunnel. As we moved forward, I could feel the current of air becoming stronger. What worried me was the lack of guards. I know we weren't supposed to fight them if we could avoid it, but I would have guessed we would have encountered someone by now.

After a couple more minutes, we made a turn to the left and found ourselves at the exit of the cave. It was big enough for several people to go through, but not big enough for monsters like Luna or Gore. Outside, we could see the light of torches and fire in the night, so we moved forwards.

Crawling on the ground as to not be seen, we looked down the long slope that the exit lead to and found ourselves looking at what could only be described as a bandit camp. Several tents, surrounded by a wall made out of wood, with people inside shouting orders or moving around. And cages. _Lots_ of cages.

Luckily, they were empty. Our friends weren't here.

Looking to the other side of the camp, I saw several carts and the Aptonoth that pulled them resting beside the walls. I tapped at Mid's shoulder and pointed at them. Whatever they were doing here, they planned on moving it somewhere else.

But where was the village?

"I don't see anyone I recognize." Mid whispered to me. I doubt they could hear us from up here unless we shouted, but better safe than sorry. "You?"

I shook my head. "They aren't here. We should return to the cave and tell the others before-"

At my silence, Mid turned to me. "What is it?"

I pointed at what I assumed to be the main tent, and the figures that just stepped outside. One was clearly the bandit leader, as it barked orders at the rest, and one of the other two couldn't be recognized because of the hood he or she was wearing. The last figure, though…

"Kirin…"

The Elder was silent, listening to what appeared to be a discussion between the hooded figure and the bandit leader. His posture was calm, and he looked around at the camp. Every bandit that directed their eyes towards him turned immediately around, scared. After a couple of seconds, there was a wide berth of space between the three and the rest of the bandits.

We couldn't face him alone, that, I knew. If we retreated now and searched for the others, we could defeat him and make him tell us what he knows, but we-

I heard a growl to my right and turned to see Mid standing up. Before she could rise to full height, I grabbed her arm. "What are you doing?"

"He has answers, Icharias." Her voice was somber, angered. "I want to know why. Why he betrayed us. Why he kidnapped out village." She turned to face me, eyes on the verge of tears. "He has answers, and I'm going to get them."

She freed herself and starting running down the slope. Thankfully, not straight into the camp. "Mid- damn it!"

I gave one look at the cave then back at my partner. With a sigh, I followed her down. "I just hope they don't take long."

* * *

 **A.N.: I innitialy only planned on having two chapters of this arc, buuut plans don't survive contact with the enemy, which means next chapter will be the end of the arc (this tome for sure, god damn it!) and probably the beginning of the small time skip.**

* * *

 **Omake! Pokémon part 2!**

"Are you really agreeing to do what that… that _thing_ says?"

Daur shook his head. "I don't think we have much of a choice. Think about it: if we oppose him, he might decide we are not worth the trouble and get rid of us. The only thing we can do if we want to return is to play by his rules." His eyes steeled and looked up. "I don't like being forced like this either, but I don't see any other path as of now."

"[I say we beat him and make him send us back.]" Growled Luna.

Gore shook his head. "Even I can tell that's a bad idea. Whoever he is, he is powerful enough to send us here as if it was nothing. I don't think fighting him is an option."

Summer sighed. "Fine, fine. He said you had to transform and I had to do… something with these things." She picked up one of the balls at her belt and examined it.

Meanwhile, everyone except Daur and Daros transformed back into their usual forms. They all turned to the two. "What are ya expecting? If we transform we'll call the attention of every human with decent sight."

Daur sighed. "Let's just hope they think we are one of these 'Pokémon'." With that, he started transforming back, only to surprise everyone in the clearing when his form turned out to be _much_ smaller than usual. He was still the largest of the group by a margin, but he wasn't even a tenth of what his usual size reached. Daur looked down at himself, confused. A second later, his eyebrow twitched in annoyance. "[Well , this is _just great_.]"

Summer held a snicker at that. Following his friend, Daros found to be with the same problem after transforming himself. "[Ya know, there is a good side to this.]"

Daur, not amused in the slightest, turned his head to his friend. "[What?]"

Daros smiled. "[We'll call less attention.]"

His snake friend didn't grace that with an answer, only another twitch of his eye. With a sigh, he turned to Summer, who was inspecting the small spherical objects. "[Let's just get this over with. What are those-?]"

His question was cut off as a beam of red light emerged from the small circle at the center of the ball and towards Daur. The red light enveloped him and a second later and Daur disappeared in front of their eyes and into the ball. Summer let out a small 'eep!' and dropped it.

There was a silence in the road, until Luna spoke. "[WHAT THE FUCK JUST HAPPENED?]"

Suddenly, a high pitched laugh filled their ears and they looked around for it. "Yup, that's an appropriate reaction." Said the voice in between laughs. Above the ball that had taken Daur, a small being appeared it was exactly like the one that had brought them here, Necro, but much smaller and with a bigger head, making it basically a cute, plushy version of the original.

The being sat on the ball and waved. "Hello again. I saw that you were having trouble and decided to be your tutorial guy."

Summer squinted her eyes and kneeled in front of him. "What… why are you…?"

The being rose his tiny arms. "I'm Chibi me! Think of me as your cute, little guide in the dangerous world." He sat up and floated above the ball. "Now, you want to know what happened to your friend?"

It was clear by the glares he was getting they were not amused. "Okay, okay. Sheesh, talk about a hard public." He cleared his throat. "As I said before, this is a pokeball. It is used to capture and house Pokémon. Pick it up." Summer did as told. "Now, throw it forward a couple of meters." She raised an eyebrow. The being waved his arms up and down, almost looking like a small child having a tantrum. "Just do it!"

Summer sighed but didn't take long to do as she was told. The ball flew from her hand and just as it was about to touch the ground, a white light spew forwards, and after a couple of seconds, it formed into a very confused Dalamadur. "Ta-daaaa! One snake god safe and sound!"

Summer looked back down and her belt and found the ball had returned to her possession. "Wait, when did it…?"

The chibi god shrugged. "Don't ask. Just roll with it. Now, as you can see, these balls house the Pokémon by extremely advanced technology. When a trainer, that would be you, calls back their Pokémon or they faint, they return to their cozy little pokeball."

Gore stepped forwards. "Are you okay?"

The snake looked at itself for a bit then nodded. "[I am, but it has been a… strange experience. I… am not sure on how to describe it. But it wasn't unpleasant.]"

"See, perfectly fine!" Everyone glared at the small floating god. "You know, I'm getting the feeling you all don't like me. Oh, well." He shrugged before moving beside Summer. "Now, why don't you all go back into your pokeballs while I explain a bit on how combat works here to Summer. Don't worry, I'll make sure you all know how to deal with it."

Gore walked to the small being. "Why should we leave Sum alone with you?"

"What, you think I will do something? I told you before, I want you alive to have fun." He pointed a finger upwards, as if he was some teacher with a student. "Plus, they won't let Summer inside the next town with six massive sized Pokémon behind her."

The black dragon growled, but after a couple of minutes, they all entered their pokeballs. Summer turned to the small floating being. "Where now?"

He pointed towards the road that went deeper into the forest. "Onwards! To adventure! And to the closest town."

And so, Summer walked through the forest while listening to the explanation of the combat in this world. The Pokémon would follow orders from their trainer, making moves until one of the two fainted. There were even tournaments! As they walked, a bush rustled for a second, making Summer stand on edge and reach for her weapon, only to be chastised by the god beside her. "Ah, ah, ah. I left your weapons because there will be a few times where you will need them, but this is not one of them."

Summer sighed, but reached for the ball that held Gore. A second later, a figure stepped from the bush and Summer found herself looking up. It had the appearance of a enormous brown and pink plushy bear. Honestly, it reminded her of Neo. "Uhhh, hiiii?"

The expressionless bear turned its head to the side, but didn't make any other moves. Summer relaxed and took a step forward. The bear only looked at her, not showing any sings of aggression. "Huh, I guess you are just a big fluffy bear."

Suddenly, the bear started moving his arms widely and shouting a strange noise. "Bewear!"

The next moment, Summer had to step backwards, away from an attack from the beast. "Okay, not so fluffy!"

"What are you waiting for?! Send out one of your friends and rip this one to shreds!" The chibi being shouted, far too excited for what was happening.

Summer squinted her eyes. She was getting tired of following his orders, but he wasn't wrong. Pulling the ball and threw it in front of the bear. A flash of light came from the ball and the floating god at her shoulder whooped. "Yes! Let the massacre begin!"

' _Waaaaay too excited.'_ Thought Summer.

* * *

 **Next time, more fighting, less exposition on both parts.**

 **Reviews!**

 **possibly Gigan: ah, I see you are a man of culture as well. Deus Vult!**

 **brave kid: thanks!**

 **Omnisaurus: cue Mission Impossible music. And they did try to sway the Kushala to their side, but he didn't accept their deal, so he was throw to the scientists. Ah, yes I heard that joke. It ends with everybody else in pain.**

 **darkvampirekisses: I'm glad you liked it. I wasn't sure how people would receive it, but it seems like all of you enjoyed it, so that's a relief.**

 **Knighwolf1875: not as powerful as Gore, but just as annoying to Summer. I mean, Gore knew what to expect, so he just had to hold on to not fly back.**

 **RabidArmenian: if he can kill people with pencils, imagine what massacre he would do with something akin to Remnant's weapons. Glad you liked the fight. I aim to please. And get that spoon out of here or I shall sic Neo on you!**

 **dano452: yes. And there will be more to come!**

 **Wizzer96: thank you! I learnt by experience, and realized that characters need to have a limit and be introduced periodically, not at the same time. And I would love to hear more from you, m8.**

 **Guest: *tiruri! Tiruri! Ta-tan!~* I plan on doing some other anime in the future, so you'll have to wait and see. Oh, they will in due time, but first comes Mid's village. Thank you!**

 **proiu: you will see how that goes in the next chapter.**

 **Again, really sorry I took so long. Let's hope I can get the next chapter on time.**

 **Have a great day!**


	31. Chapter 29: Rescue: part 3

**A.N.: hello there! How ya'll doing? I'm preparing to move out to a new place** _ **while**_ **starting a new job next week. I do not know how things will develop from now on, but I'll try my best to keep up with the schedule.**

 **Enjoy!**

* * *

 **Black Dragon, White Rose**

 **Chapter 29**

 **Rescue: part 3**

 **/ Luna P.O.V. /**

Why did I have to be paired with this human? She had done her job at bringing us back here, we didn't need her for anything else. It was clear she didn't like Gore or me, sending us looks all the way since we arrived. Who does she think she is? I could end her miserable life in a second. I don't care what the others say, she doesn't get to look at me as if I was some dirt that got between her claws!

At least the rest worked with each other. Psh. There she goes again, sending me a glare when she thinks I'm not looking. I couldn't wait to get back and forget she existed. At least the sister of the eyeless idiot was clear about me. She didn't like me, but we could live with each other. And we both agreed on beating her brother unconscious when the next training session came. _'Uuhh, look at me. I'm Gore. I have more training than you both so that means I can throw you around as if you were sacks of scales. Blah, blah, blegh.'_

And still…

I just couldn't picture why he treated me like this. What did he see in me? I had tried to kill Summer, kill him, insulted his sister. But he gave me a second chance. And… I don't regret it.

Not like he'll ever get to hear that.

I thought humans were just some small pest that were annoying at worst. You just had to learn to live with their existence, unless you could kill them. I thought he was mad for respecting them. I mean, you don't respect a fly or a bug. Turns out, they are more like ants. They do things together that alone for one of them would be impossible. And… that's all I've got. Humans and ants are very different, but it's the best I can think of right now.

A strange sound brought me back to reality. I started moving faster through the tunnel and we reached a closed metallic door. It was tall enough for a human, but it was locked by several chains and locks. They were trying to keep people out. Or something in.

Oh, and there were two guards too. Meh, one ended up with his neck twisted the wrong way(I'm still trying to control my strength, okay?!) and the other was knocked out by the girl with me.

Oh, look, she glaring at me again. "You didn't have to kill him."

I answered with what I had learnt from the humans I lived with. I squinted my eyes and showed her my tongue. Ha! I know that is something humans do to each other when they want to show their anger or discontent. I must admit, humans were creative in more ways than one.

Her glare intensified for a moment before looking away at the door. "Whatever. Think you can open this?"

Hmph. Can I?

…

That's a rhetorical question. Of course I can!

I walked past her and gave the door a good look. It was resistant, sure, but it was made with humans in mind. And being made out of metal was just another advantage. I could just melt this meager thing! But ripping it off leaves a bigger hole for us to go through. What if any of those villagers are behind.? Or maybe there is a guard and I could save us some trouble. But that would get me _another_ unwelcomed glare from the girl at my side.

Hmm… decisions, decisions.

"Would you just open it already?!"

Hmph. Fine. If I melt someone behind the door, I'm blaming it on the worm. Worm… yes, that suited her. I charged my flames in my throat and aimed at the door, melting it in but a couple of seconds. Ha! All too easy. I wonder if I could focus my fire on my hand so I could punch _and_ melt at the same time. Double the power, double the speed!

I think.

I stepped right through it, wiping of a drop of molten metal that fell on my bare shoulder. It felt like I had my scales as usual, so the high temperature was no problem. The worm, on the other hand, had to wait until it cooled off a bit. I mocked her with a smirk. That's what you get, you weakling. She stepped through, and just as she was about to say something, the same sound that had alerted me at first came again. And this time I could tell what it was.

It was sobbing. Someone was crying. Human, that's for sure.

It seems like the worm had also noticed, and we sped up to the end of the hallway, turning to the right.

And for the first time in my life, I felt pity and sympathy for humanity.

The room that we stepped in was large, with cages hanging from the walls and ceiling and tables on the center of the room. Most of the cages were filled with people inside of them, all wearing nothing more than rags. Some looked like they hadn't eaten in days, while others looked much better, but their gazes seemed… lost. As if they had no life in them.

But the most horrifying part were the open corpses on the tables. I couldn't bring myself to say anything to the worm when she started puking. I… I had seen what a human looked inside before, and by my hand. But I could tell that this was no work of an Elder. None of us had this… precision. But why would a human do this to their own?

When she stopped emptying her stomach, the worm turned to me. "Wh- what _is_ this place?"

I tapped her shoulder and pointed at the cages around us. It seems they hadn't noticed us yet. She shook her head. "Right, right. Questions later. Let's get them down first."

My idea was to actually ask them what all of this was, but that worked too, I guess. I suppose that if someone like this worm could have one good idea in her short lifetime, humanity may not be as bad as I thought. We walked to some strange contraption made of levers. She looked around and pulled the first one down. The sound of chains moving made us turn around and watch as one of the cages moved down slowly.

I forgot to mention that the cages _clearly meant_ to host one human had several in them each. And looked like nobody had come to clear them any time. Like, at all. That is disgusting even for the lowliest of Inferiors.

The cage reached the ground and _now_ we had the attention of several of the people above and the ones that the cage just let down. The worm stepped closer and opened the cell, letting what I guessed was the family inside out. "It's alright. We are here to get you out. Are you from Icharias' village?"

The woman holding the two children nodded in the verge of tears. "Yes! Thank the Ancients! Please, y-you must get the rest down!"

The worm nodded and walked towards me. I was surprised when the family didn't react to my wings, but if they had been living with Midnight, then they most surely know what I really am. Well, that spares us the explanations. The worm whispered to my ear, and for once I was too distracted by the morbidity around me to do anything. "Start pulling down the levers. I'll make sure they are alright."

I couldn't speak human, so fine by me. I pulled the next lever, and before the cage reached the ground, I heard the worm mutter something. "What have they done?"

It became a repetitive process from there, with a lot of happiness, tears and reunions. Except for those that looked to be the healthiest. They moved almost as if they had no mind of their own, like they were some sort of puppets. It was almost saddening. The other prisoners explained that the Guild had been experimenting on them with some white mineral, mixing it with their bodies.

"Th-there are more!" Exclaimed the same woman that we first freed. "They have them at the mines!"

"We'll get them. But we can't protect you and save them at the same time. Is there an exit around here?"

One of the men pointed at another door at the side of the room. "I think that leads outside. But we can't defend ourselves without weapons."

"Okay, okay…" The worm thought of it for a moment. "We… we'll go outside. See where that leave us. As for your friends, I think our partners will find them soon."

"We already did." A voice came from the door we had entered. Gore was walking through the door towards us. "Summer is bringing them here. There was no exit in the mines." He looked around the room and at the people in it. He muttered something that I couldn't help but agree on. "And _we_ are the ones being called monsters…"

It was then that I realized he wasn't alone. Behind his leg, so small that he barely reached his knee, was a human child. He looked just as bad as the ones in the cages. I pointed at him and Gore shrugged. "He got attached when I told him we would search for his mother." He kneeled and talked to the child. "Can you see her around?"

The boy looked at the crowd, trying to look for his mother. Suddenly, a commotion from the other end of the mass of people reached my ears. After pushing through half the crowd, who I could only guess was the mother sprinted through and hugged the child, both in tears.

Gore walked away from them and towards me. He reached to a pouch by his side and pulled something out. "And _this_ is what they were forced to mine, among other things."

On his hand, a small Life essence stone.

How dare they?! The lowly hunters from the Guild were trying to use this to become stronger? Hah! Well, I will never let them! I will become strong enough to squash them, no matter how much Essence they use!

"E-excuse me…" We turned to the one that had disturbed my inner thoughts. It was one of the woman from the crowd. "You said that your friend had found the rest of our village. I-is that true?"

Gore nodded. "They are moving at a slow pace, but they will be here at any second." The woman's eyes filled with light at those words, and the crowd seemed to react with more tears and smiles. They all seemed to be very close to each other. Was this the unity Gore talked about?

Hmm…

True to his word, several voices came from the hallway later on. Summer and the rest of the town came through, and more hugs and tears ensued. Won't they dehydrate if they keep crying? Summer walked to us, looked around the room in disgust and… anger? "What is this place?"

"I do not know." Answered the worm. "But I don't think I want to know." She gave the opened bodies a look. "The Guild I joined would have never…"

"Let's forget about that for now." Summer intervened. "We can barely keep them all in this room. Do you know where the exit is?" I nodded. "Great. Let's get these people out and to a safe place. Then we will search for Mid and Icharias." He tapped the shoulder of her partner. "Help me out for a second."

The two pulled down the remaining cages and pushed a box to the center of the room, as much as they could with so many people in the way. Summer jumped up and raised her voice. "Okay, people. I need your attention." It took her a while, but the cave turned silent. "We are going to get you out of here and to somewhere safe. I need you all to stay calm and organized. I want children and wounded on the center. The rest, keep around them and stay close. Gore and I will take point, while Sarah and Luna will cover our backs. Stay in between us and do not rush out. We'll keep you safe."

She sounded calm and collected, and her voice was clear. She showed strength, like a leader should. It was hard to imagine her as the loving mother that she is. I knew what Gore saw in her to admire her so much, and I must admit that for a human, she was… interesting. After organizing the mass of humans, we headed through the door at the other side.

Now that things had calmed down, I wondered how those two were doing.

* * *

 **/ Icharias P.O.V. /**

Damn it! I rolled to the side and stabbed the bandit on the knee with my knife. He shouted in pain and I pulled it out, stabbing it again, this time on his neck as he kneeled down. I know my greatsword would have cleaved him in half, but it was too heavy for use against humans. If they surrounded me, I could make a quick strike around, but I needed to be careful.

I was about to turn around when a bandit charged me, pushing us both through a tent. We fought for a bit, but he was just scum that fed off people weaker than him. I was a hunter trained to kill the biggest creatures in this world.

And I had more than just a couple of neurons on my brain.

I kneeled him on his parts and twisted my knife into his eye. He didn't have time to scream. I pushed the body off me and moved outside of the tent. The entire camp was on flames, with the Aptonoth running amok, trampling over anyone that wasn't fast enough to get out of the way. The fire had also distracted many of the bandits as they tried to put it out, which left me with less to deal with.

Either that or they were running away from the two humanized monsters fighting each other.

After causing the fire, Mid had jumped at the chance of getting answers from Kirin. What she got for her efforts was a silent stare and his own Dual Blades clashing with hers. I wanted answers as well, but jumping like against a Keeper was suicidal, even with Aura. I had asked to not have it unlocked for this mission. I trusted my armor, and I didn't know if it would interfere with how I handled my weapon.

I didn't need to re-adapt my fighting style in the middle of this mission.

With Mid was different, as her weapons didn't need strength to be used. Bur even still, with Aura, she was not winning that fight. Kirin was more experienced and was completely calm, while Mid was still young and enraged. Not a good combination to keep control during a fight. And without an opening, my weapon would be easy to dodge.

Thus I took it into dealing with as many bandits as I could and trying to get a hit whenever I could. A lighting impacted close to me, and Mid appeared from the cloud of dust, blocking an attack the next second. Kirin was as fast as his lighting, but Mid was no slouch.

However, the small wounds and cuts on her were clear. Meanwhile, Kirin looked dirtier than when they begun, but nothing worse. None of them were speaking now, letting their weapons carry the conversation. Mid jumped again and they clashed at impressive speeds, but she was starting to get tired and her Aura had already broken. I needed to help her.

Kirin parried her blade and blocked the other, countering through her right. Mid dodged and I moved through the side, keeping myself out of his field of vision. As the fight progressed, I positioned myself behind my target. I could see a small glint in Mid's eyes for a moment, and I knew she had seen me. Without any other sign, she dodged _towards_ Kirin and pushed him backwards, keeping the blades blocked.

With a deep breath, I rushed from my cover with a silent run, reaching for my blade. I neared the back of Kirin and unsheathed my sword with a quick strike. In the last second before the impact, he realized what was going on and his eyes widened. Got you.

Pain coursed through my body as we were sent backwards from Kirin. The lighting didn't affect it's own caster, as he stood perfectly fine. Glancing from where I had landed, I saw Mid trying to get up, only for Kirin to kick her and pin her to the ground with his feet. I reached for my weapon and got up as quickly as I could. She tried to get him off, and before I could react, he stabbed her through the leg. Her scream of pain made my blood boil.

I tried to run, the electricity still going through my body. He held Mid still and raised his blade. _'I wouldn't reach in time'._ Her eyes widened. _'I can't lose her'._ Kirin uttered some words I couldn't hear. _'Not like this'._ I ran as fast as my legs could carry me. _'No, no, no, no…'_. He lowered his-

A black blur tackled him off and through a tent. I was stunned by the sudden occurrence, but I shook my stupor off and reached Mid as she held her wounded leg. I dropped my sword beside us and held her in my arms for a couple of seconds. "Umm, Icharias…?"

I broke the hug and glared at her with all my energy. "Do you value your life so little that you are willing to throw it away like this?!"

Her eyes widened. I was known for being calm, so this was a surprise even for me. "Icharias… I…"

"No. We'll have a _long_ talk later." I was angry. At her, at Kirin, at myself. But we were still in the middle of a burning camp. I got her arm over my neck after sheathing my sword, getting her up. "We are getting out of here."

She wanted to say something against that, but her words died at her mouth when I glared at her. Just as we started walking, Kirin came flying from where he had landed, getting on his feet after tumbling a couple of times. A claw mark on his arm was bleeding, but he still looked ready to fight. Suddenly, the air around us turned a dark purple hue and Gore stepped from where Kirin had come flying, horns glowing purple and extended.

He reached to his waist and pulled a weapon that I recognized as a Switch Axe. **"Go east."** His voice was deeper than usual, almost a growl. **"Summer and the rest of the village are waiting there."**

I gave him a single nod and walked away with Mid. I wasn't sure he would be able to win, but we couldn't stay here. Not like this. I silently whished him good luck before exiting the camp.

* * *

 **/ Gore P.O.V. /**

I looked at the other side of the burning camp. The **traitor** glared at me and I could hear the storm gathering above us. It didn't matter. He was just like the one that tried to kill my sister and Luna. **He dies today.**

"You must be Daur's new apprentice." His voice reached my ears. "He chose well. But he is fighting a losing battle." He extended his arm. "Join us, I can teach-"

The ground where he stood exploded in dirt and dust as I swung my sword down. Tch. He dodged. I turned my head towards him and growled. He doesn't get to speak. **Corpses don't speak.**

 **(Play: RE: Monster Hunter 4 - Mantle That Conceals Light ~ Gore Magala** **【** **Intense Symphonic Metal Cover** **】** **)**

I swung with all my strength at his side, making him dodge backwards. I brought my weapon back around and kept swinging. The **fool** kept dodging back, only getting hit by the immense gusts of air my weapon left behind. Every time I inched closer, he managed to move away at the last second. **If he would just** _ **stand still**_ **!**

I ended with a thrust that missed, but I had planned that. Before he could react, I fired from my weapon. The .95 bullet flew forwards and I remembered what Summer had told me: _'A human, even with Aura, would get hurt from the recoil of this. But you won't have that problem!'_. The **traitor** managed to move, but it graced his shoulder. And completely shredded his armor and burnt his skin.

He looked at his shoulder the back at me and the smoking barrel. "You are good." He charged forwards and began swinging his weapons. I attempted to block as many as I could, but he was a lot faster than me and I still wasn't used to this weapon. And my combat training was very basic. Nevertheless, I managed to grab him with one of my wingarms after a couple of seconds. I threw him away and turned to face him as he landed on his feet. "But you are still far away from my level."

I launched forwards, only for him to guide my weapon with his own slightly away. He used the extra space to slash at my stomach and move out of my reach. My Aura glowed and I growled. He ran towards me, I blocked the strike that I knew that would come. Instead, he used my weapon to jump above me and kick me on the back of my head. He didn't stop and got a couple slashes on my back before I swung behind me.

I aimed and fired, making him dodge again. I kept firing, while he struggled to keep up with the speed of the shots. On the final one, I managed to nick his knee. He crouched with a hiss of pain and I took the chance to swing down at him again. He rolled before my weapon could reach him and sprung forwards aiming at my-

I immediately twisted my head backwards, stopping his blade from reaching my feeler. He still managed to scratch me helmet, and quicker than I thought he could move, he slammed both of his blades down on my head , following by a strike of lighting that sent me backwards.

Even with my Aura, my feelers being hit would be extremely painful. I grunted and got up, glaring at the **future corpse** in front of me. He readied his blade as I got up. I cracked my neck and extended my wingarms, launching myself forwards with a burst of speed. My sword landed on the ground, launching dust all around us, but missing my intended target. I sensed him behind me, and before he could land a strike, I kicked backwards.

He reeled away and I tried to swing at his neck. But before I could behead the **scum** , his blades came up, blocking the strike and sending him flying away. Before he could react, I charged my Virus and threw it at him. I know he would be immune, but it would still hurt. What I didn't expect was for him to be almost at my side by the time I managed to react. He ducked my swing and slashed at my chest, his blades charged with electricity.

I stumbled backwards and watched as my Aura vanished. I really needed to improve my control over it. I didn't muse for long as I blocked the next strike, pushing him away. I tried to grab him again with my wingarms, but he stepped out of the way. **Why wouldn't he stop moving?!**

I realized what he was trying to do just in time. I jumped away as a lighting landed just as where I was standing. I lost sight of him and used my feelers to find him. Surprisingly enough, I couldn't find where he was hidden. He must've moved closer to the fire, where my hairs and scales burnt.

I kept glancing around, keeping my guard up. He hadn't run away, I knew that. He was waiting to get the jump on me. The moment he showed his ugly face, I would cut him in half. Or cut his head off and put it on a pike. C'mon, show-

I jumped aside as a series of lighting strikes started falling where I was. I kept moving, keeping my senses at attention at all times. I knew this was a distraction, trying to move somewhere where he could have an advantage over me. One final lighting came down and-

I turned around as quickly as I could, only to feel a wave of pain on my stomach. Looking down, I saw both of his blades right through my armor. He pulled them out with a smile and kicked me away, as I tried to push through the pain. I coughed and tasted my own blood on my mouth. Argh, this hurt…

 **(End song)**

I covered my stomach with one arm and used the other to keep myself off the ground. I could barely think through the pain, but I retracted my feelers and tried to reach for my weapon. The next thing I felt was a kick to my head, sending me rolling a few meters away. I ended up looking at the clouded sky.

I could hear his steps coming closer and I tried to get up, only to be stopped by the pain and the feet of the **traitor** on my chest. With enough time I could heal that wound as if it never happened, but this situation didn't look good. He looked down at me, as if he had stepped on something disgusting.

"You fought well. A shame it would never amount to anything." I growled at that.

" **Go to hell."**

He hummed. "Tell them I'll be coming in a few centuries."

He raised his sword and I 'closed my eyes'. My thoughts wondered to my sister and Summer, little Ruby and Yang, and Neo. Heh. Little twerp. Luna, always acting while hiding how she really was, and Midnight, a reliable friend. Ancients damn it, I didn't want to die like this! All the rest of my friends, Daur, Ozpin, Daros, Taiyang, those two hunters…

It couldn't end like this! I wouldn't-

I opened my eyes and reached with my wingarms to grab his arm just in time. I was still stronger than him. _'Just a little longer…'_ He tried to push through, but I didn't relent. He raised his feet and dropped it on my wounds. I grunted, but didn't let go of his arm.

He snarled. "Annoying…"

His other arm raised, but just before it plunged, my reinforcements arrived. He must've spotted her in the last second, but with one arm pinned, he could only managed to swat her claw away before she got hold of his other arm. I grabbed his leg with my arms and held him still. He looked at me with wide eyes. "How about in a few seconds?" I said with a smile.

A white blur came out of the flames, wielding a scythe and a extremely pissed off face. He couldn't dodge, being pinned as he was, but he tried to move his head out of the way. He managed to evade the attack aimed at his neck.

His eye wasn't so lucky though.

"Arghhhhhh!" Summer's scythe tore through his right eye and part of his face. I released his leg as he stumbled backwards, letting go of one of his blades and holding his bleeding face. I looked at the blade of Summer scythe and I could see his eye still impaled on it. Luna reached for me and helped me up while I kept an arm on the wounds.

Kirin kept stepping backwards, screaming and keeping a hand to his empty eye socket as blood kept pouring through. "Graghhh! You bitch! How dare you?!" Summer didn't answer, and for anyone that didn't know her, she would like the physical embodiment of tranquility. But I could see a smoldering hate in her eyes. I had never seen her like this. "I'll make you regret the day you crossed paths with a Keeper! You'll wish-!"

Without uttering a single word, Summer divided her scythe into the swords and charged at full speed. With only one weapon and lacking an eye, Summer's strikes landed with ease, firing in between cuts to keep pushing him back. I adjusted myself while Luna kept hold of me. I was still bleeding, but I could feel my regeneration already doing its work.

A bolt of lighting forced Summer to retreat backwards. Kirin threw another at a collapsing tent and blocked the path between us before running away with a look that swore revenge. Summer squinted her eyes, but didn't follow. "Can you carry him?" Luna nodded. "Then let's go."

Exiting the camp was relatively easy, with one dragon that wasn't affected by fire and with other that could find a path through the fire without needing to see. The moment we stepped out of the camp, Luna moved me closer to a tree. "[Are you alright?]" Her face was filled with worry, but the moment I nodded, it disappeared. "[Good. You would disappoint me if you weren't.]"

I was about to retort, but the pain spiked suddenly. I looked down, finding Summer hugging me with all her strength. "Don't you ever worry me like that again! You hear me?! Ever!"

"Summer…"

"I don't care that you think you have to protect us!" I could feel her tears going down the armor. "We aren't defenseless!"

"Sum…"

"You aren't invincible, and I don't want to lose you! It would break the girls, it would break me! All of us! We'll get stronger together if you want, but please, be more careful! I can't-!"

"Summer!" She looked up and I pointed at where she was hugging. "The wounds…"

Her eyes widened and she skipped backwards. "Oh my gods, I'm so sorry! I hadn't noticed!" Her clothes were stained with my blood, and I released a pained sigh as she stopped hugging me. "I'm sorry! I didn't hurt you too much, did I?"

I raised my palm. "I'll be fine in a few hours. Just… refrain from hugging me for that time, will you?" She nodded, and immediately did just that, but this time with her arms around my neck. I hugged back with a smile. "I'll be fine, I promise."

She sniffed and nodded, letting go. "S-sorry we couldn't get here sooner. We didn't know you were in danger until Mid and Icharias returned. I should have gone with you…"

I placed a hand on her shoulder. "With the amount of people we had rescued, only two people wouldn't be enough. You didn't know this would happen. And I _will_ recover." I tightened my grasp, not enough to hurt, but to make a point. "And the next time, I- _**we**_ **will kill him**."

She only nodded with determination in her eyes. Luna stepped closer, with her arms on her hips and a childish posture. "[I want in too.]"

I turned to her. "I mean… the help is appreciated and all, but why? It's not as if he hurt you."

A slight blush covered her cheeks and she looked away. "[I-I just want to beat him! He almost killed you, and that would mean that I wouldn't get to have my revenge for all the times you made me hit the ground! That's why! Yeah! That and nothing more!]"

… okay…?

"We'll talk more later, alright? Let's reunite with the rest first." I nodded and both of them helped me walk through the forest at the side of the mountain. The fire at our backs created a cloud of smoke that would be clearly seen from miles away, but without Kirin, the sky was clear of thundering clouds.

After a few minutes of walking, we reached the edge of the forest where we had left the villagers. The moment we stepped through, several weapons were aimed at us. "Stop, stop! They are with us!" The four hunters that were covering the villagers sheathed their weapons and Icharias came through the crowd. He gave me a look and let out a sigh. "It seems Mid isn't the only one wounded during this battle."

Summer let go of my arm and approached him. "Who are they?"

Icharias looked at the four other hunters. "Friends from a village we used to trade with." Several 'heys' and hellos' were heard. "It seems the Guild is leaving towns and villages to their own luck and the local hunters aren't happy with that. They have agreed to take our people as refugees and take care of them."

One of the hunters came closer. "We saw the smoke when we were out hunting and found your group, with Icharias taking care of his friend." He pointed towards somewhere beyond the forest. "Our village is almost a day away, but with the speed of these people it will be at least a day and a half."

"Thanks. See if anybody else needs help." The man nodded and Icharias turned to us again. "Mid is back there, recovering. I… *sigh* I think we are going to be fine, except for…"

"What is it?"

He looked at the gathered people. "There are some of them that… I don't know how to describe it. The _look_ fine, but it was almost as if they were… _empty_ somehow. They don't speak, only follow orders. Some of them seem to be recovering somewhat, actually speaking and regaining bits of their personality. But others…" He shook his head. "I don't know what the Guild did, but it's not normal."

I looked around, and saw the group he was talking about. It wasn't hard to find them, but not because of their slouched posture or empty sight, but because all of them had a common trait: Silver Eyes. "Summer, look at their eyes."

She sent me a strange look, but her eyes widened when she saw what I was referring to. "Um, Icharias, did all of them had Silver Eyes before?"

He turned around and approached one of the affected people. He took the chin of the woman and lifted it to look at her eyes. "No…" He did the same with a few others and took a couple of steps backwards. "With all that was happening I hadn't noticed, but this… this isn't natural…"

"I think we should focus on getting them to the village first." Said Summer. "Then we can return to Remnant and talk with Daur. He might know something."

"Actually…" We turned and saw Midnight limping towards us, with Sarah not far behind. "Icharias and I have been talking a bit and… well, we are going to stay for a while. At least, until we have our friends settled."

I think she was expecting us to be disappointed, but Summer smiled warmly and nodded. "Of course. We'll miss you, but we get it."

"You can get going in the morning if you want." Intervened Icharias. "We'll be resting through the night, making turns. Afterwards, we can keep them safe until we reach the village."

I grunted as I held my wound. "Sleep sounds amazing right now." How convenient that our healing worked better when sleeping.

"Then we are staying." Helping me towards one of the trees, Summer, Luna and I laid down, all of us sighing at once. "I don't know about you guys, but I'm exhausted."

"Yup."

"[I'm fine.]" She remained silent for a second. "[But I wouldn't mind a few hours of sleep.]"

And with that, the three of us went to sleep one by one. Before I let sleep take me, I gave one last look at the full moon, and I found it funny that I had grown more accustomed to the shattered one on Remnant.

* * *

 **/ ? P.O.V. /**

The carriage sped away from the now far column of smoke that had been the bandit camp. Most probably all of them would be dead by the morning, if not by the fire or the assaulters, then by the monsters attracted my the chaos. Kirin would either kill the ones that he was facing or retreat later on.

And nothing of value would be lost either way.

No, the real loses were the captured villagers. We still had others to perform experiments on, but we were making progress with them. The new batches of the serum were more efficient and the process of degradation was slowed, but it still wasn't perfect. We needed to improve it more for my plans to work.

I stared at the small vial in my hand. The batch inside was pure white, almost glowing with the power it held within. It was the catalyst for all my plans, and yet, it looked as if it was mocking me, as if what I tried to do wouldn't work the way I wanted.

But I didn't care. I had the power and resources to make it work. I wouldn't let all these years of plotting and planning go to waste. I had killed and backstabbed my way until I reached the top, and one way or another, I would get what I wanted.

With a thoughtful hum, I left the vial with the rest, in the box beside me. Looking around the cart, I watched the hunters that were with me stare at the nothingness in silence, their Silver Eyes showing no emotion. So much power at a great cost. What a shame it wouldn't last long.

It would be much easier if they were natural born, but those are scarce.

"Guildmaster!" The voice of the hunter driving the carriage got my attention. The thing lurched slightly and stopped.

I couldn't see what was in front, with the blanket that covered the carriage completely as to conceal us inside. I gestured to the hunters with me. "Follow me." There were no movements or sounds, only their compliance when they exited behind me.

I turned around the back of the carriage and went to the front. We were on a road in the middle of the forest, with only the moon lighting our path. And yet, I could see the figure standing in front of us. A hunter.

And one I recognized at that.

"I see you have returned." I said to the hunter standing in front of us. "Then I assume that Chameleos has been sent away."

As I approached a couple of steps, the hunter kneeled. "Yes, Guildmaster. But I found someone in the other world that wanted to speak with you."

I raised an eyebrow under my hood. Someone that wanted to speak with me? How curious. "And well?"

He raised and took a few steps to the side. From the darkness of the forest, a strange figure approached. At first, I could only hear the clicking noises it made, but my eyes widened when it steeped into the light of our torches.

Well, stepped isn't the right word. More like floated.

The creature was like a strange jellyfish, with tentacles that ended in spikes and a head that looked almost like a ball of glass, made of inky darkness with red hues. It was covered in small spikes, and it was disturbing in everyway of the word.

There were no records of anything like this before. It looked like a monster, and yet, it also didn't.

The darkness within the creature's orb swirled and a woman's voice came from it. "Guildmaster, let me present myself. I am Salem, and I wish to have a few words with you."

* * *

 **A.N.: things can't always go as the heroes want, can they? But that doesn't mean Kirin gets out unscathed. And Salem had been quiet for too long. That doesn't mean she has been just standing there. After all, a monster and a hunter appeared in her territory, and she had to deal with the aftermath.**

 **Reviews!**

 **proiu: confrontation indeed! And we shall see how that goes.**

 **Knighwolf1879: if she would have been calmer, she might have been able to wound him and gain the advantage, but Kirin isn't stupid and has been training her for years. And while Aura did help, she doesn't know how to properly use it. Next time, though, things will be different.**

 **Wizzer96: now that's a fun idea. I can totally picture it.**

 **RabidArmenian: well, we won't see Neo for a while. Full anime girl Luna going baka, that seems just like her. I was thinking more the MI music, but if they get caught, the exclamation sound of Metal Gear sounds about right.**

 **Guest: well, we got rid of his eye.**

 **Hollydoor: yes and yes!**

 **BLOOD Berry arms: thank you!**

 **Sorry there is no omake this time. I'm having a lot of trouble keeping up with all the IRL things going on.**

 **Have a great day!**


	32. Chapter 30: Moving forward

**A.N.: hello there! We are jumping into the chapter right now!**

 **Enjoy!**

* * *

 **Black Dragon, White Rose**

 **Chapter 30**

 **Moving forward**

 **/ Gore P.O.V. /**

Returning the next day was… I wouldn't say sad, but we weren't happy either. I wanted to kill the traitor, Summer had that face she made when she was blaming herself (for something stupid, might I add) and Luna was also extremely quiet for how she usually was. And Sarah had a face I would have enjoyed under other circumstances. This didn't feel like a victory, even if the village we had gone for was free.

At least we ended up returning on Vale territory and I didn't have to fly back to Patch. Bullhead ride to the rescue!

When we reached Sum's house, Ozpin, Daur and Daros were waiting for us. I let Summer go with the rest of the family and I explained what had occurred and what we had seen. When they listened, Ozpin had a sad and lost look, and Daros shifted from anger of what had occurred to happiness of knowing we were relatively fine.

However, the worst was Daur. He didn't say a word, but the more I explained what happened, the more anger I could feel from him, to a point were he started letting out small blue flames from his mouth. His armor glowed more and more and the grass at his feet started burning away. When I finished, he closed his eyes for a moment before turning around. "I need a few minutes."

With that, he walked away. Ozpin turned to Daros. "Should we follow him?"

Daros crossed his arms, shaking his head. "Nah. He'll be fine, but he needs to vent out. Kirin and him had been close. He knew he had betrayed us, but I guess this makes him realize it."

Ozpin nodded and then turned to me. "In any case, good job saving the village. Take a few days of rest and recover from your wounds. Spend some time between friends." He gave a look to the house. "And make sure Summer doesn't feel guilty for what happened."

I guess I wasn't the only one to notice. "I will."

With a final goodbye, I walked to the house. I opened the door, only to find myself on the ground at the next second as the three children of the house jumped at me. And just where my wounds were… ouch. "Hug the dragon!" That was Ruby.

"Not fair! You went to another world and saved an entire village and fought a dude that could call lighting! I want in next time!" Yang, of course.

Neo looked at me from where she was hugging and smiled a cruel smile. Raising one of her arms, she extended a finger and poked where my wound was. It was already closed, but it still stung every time she- ouch. Ouch. Ouch. She kept smiling. Ouch.

Okay, enough. I grabbed her arm and started poking her in the nose until she backed away, rubbing it and giving me a pout. I managed to separate the other two and get up from the floor. Summer passed by us and helped me up. "Don't complain. I got the same treatment."

That was when I noticed she was still in her huntress attire. "Going out?"

She looked away and I could see she was still thinking about what had happened. "Yeah, I need to be by myself for-"

"Nope."

Her confused look made me smile. "What do you-?"

"Nope." I crossed my arms and blocked the entrance. "You aren't going anywhere without me. We need to talk, and then when you return, you can go to your bedroom with Taiyang to do things that aren't seen but definitely heard."

Her eyes widened and all the blood of her body went to her cheeks. "Gore, not in front of the girls!" Ruby didn't know what was going on, Yang was trying to get the image off of her mind and Neo was smirking like mad.

"Good. Now you have a reason to leave." I grabbed her arm and pulled her out. I normally would let her be, but her reaction yesterday made realize that leaving her to her own, she was going to end up reaching some stupid conclusion.

We reached her spot a few minutes later. We hadn't come across any Grimm, but I had seen the traces of destruction left behind by Daur. It wasn't hard to realize he was the cause for the lack of Grimm as well.

In any case, when we reached the cliff, I moved close to the edge and sat down. Summer followed a moment later. We didn't say anything, just watched in silence as the sun dropped down in the horizon. It was… nice, especially after all the recent events.

…

"Gore, I know what you-"

"I lost my brother." I begun before she could start talking. "I lost him to a hunter that then used his remains as materials for a new armor. You simply can't imagine the pure, boiling _rage_ I felt when I knew. And I had to destroy an entire village to realize that… that I couldn't get him back. And for the first time in my life, I felt _worse_ after having my revenge." I hummed. "Then again, if I had finished the job I wouldn't have been stabbed in my armpit." I shrugged with a smile. "But I got to meet all of you, so I guess that's fine."

"The lesson I learnt that day is that I can't let my anger take the better of me. And it still does sometimes. I also became extremely protective of my sister." I turned to Summer. "But I have never, _ever_ blamed myself for his death. Sure, I thought of what I could have done to save him, but I came to realize that it didn't matter. My brother was dead and I had taken my revenge. That's it. End of story. So instead of crying over it, I decided to never let it happen again. And I've been successful so far."

She shook her head and looked at the horizon. "It's not the same. I could have gone with you, or we could have waited a bit longer. And you were lucky this time. What if he had aimed for your head?"

"He did."

"He- wait, what?!"

I nodded. "But he missed. And I'm still here. I will be healed by tomorrow morning. But it will sting a bit for a couple of days more, so be careful with the hugs." She let out a nervous laugh and rubbed her head. "But _he_ won't recover his eye. I got beaten, sure. Not the first time, and not the last. My pride can take it. _His_ can't. I will get stronger, and when we meet again, I plan on making sure he doesn't come out alive."

Summer tried to glare at me. "But what if he beats you again? Do you think you'll get to live if the fight of yesterday repeats itself?"

I shrugged. "I will win. Because next time, we will fight him _together_." Her glare disappeared and I smiled. "Don't look so surprised. I told you, didn't I? If it makes you feel better, though, I have learnt something from that fight." I looked at my human hands. "Ever since I came to this world, it has been victory after victory. And since I got my hands on the Essence, I've been feeling like I could take on anything." I laid back and looked at the blues sky. "I think part of me already knew this would end up coming to bite me in the back, but I kept going. Until something stopped me. I can't just go into any fight thinking I will win simply because I have strength and power, but I only realized that when I lost yesterday."

There was a silence after my words, as she didn't speak and I gave some thought to what I was going to say next. "I'm here, and I am alive, Summer. Worrying about the past won't do anything. But we can make sure that it doesn't happen again in the future." I raised and looked at her. "But I need your help. So, what do you say?"

She stared at me, eyes open wide and blinked twice. "Wow, I didn't know you could be so deep."

I snorted. "I have my moments, as you humans say."

She smiled and stared at the horizon once more. "It's not that I don't trust you to keep yourself save. But I worry. I haven't lost any members of my team, but I have seen other teams fall apart because one member died on a mission. The pain their friends go through afterwards. But I never got to know them enough as to cry for them. But we are friends. The girls love you, Tai enjoys having someone else to talk with apart from me and the girls." She smiled and inched closer. "And between him, Qrow and Daros, he's had to replenish the beer more than he would like to admit."

I let out a chuckle and she continued. "We all care about you, and none of us want to lose you. _I_ don't want to lose you. And it wasn't until yesterday that I realized that… well, that you were as mortal as any of us. You eat, you drink, you sleep and you can _die_ like any of us." She sighed and held her legs with her arms, close to the chest. "I know, one day, I will die. But I want to live my life at its fullest. I want to see my girls grow and reach their dreams. And I want to be surrounded by friends and family." She took a deep breath and let it out. "And I know it sounds selfish, but I want to make sure I don't lose anyone I care about."

"Then don't." I added. "I want the same. Well, more or less. But I also don't want to lose the ones I love. However, instead of feeling down for things that we can't change, how about we make sure that we change the ones that we can, so that we get to have what we want?" I extended my hand towards her.

She let go of her legs and gave it a look. Smiling, she ignored my extended hand and gave me a hug. Thankfully, she avoided the wounds. "It's a deal." I hugged back (I'm starting to get why humans like these) and we remained like that for a few seconds.

Until her scroll rang and she had to pick it up. "Yes? Oh, hi Oz!... Mhm… Yes… No… Okay… Yeah, sure. We'll be there." She closed the device and spoke again. "Ozpin wants us to go with him to the lab. It seems that Gaster has something to show us."

I let out a groan. "He just told me to take a rest." I got up with a sigh. "Well, the sooner we are done with the mad scientist, the better."

Summer let out a giggle and we moved back to the house. I still didn't feel completely fine myself, though. I was still beaten and it's going to take a while to reach the point where I can fight him again, but… I had the feeling things were going to be alright.

Now, if I could only get something to eat before dealing with that guy again…

* * *

 **2 years later**

 **/ ? P.O.V. /**

We kept walking through the dirt path, even as it got muddier and muddier due to the rain. If I didn't know this wasn't her doing, I would blame one of my companions for the storm. But sometimes, nature simply didn't want to cooperate. The rain become heavier and heavier the more we walked, as if it didn't want us to reach our destination. And while the cloaks we wore covered us completely, they had become heavy and wet by now.

The crack of another lightning lighted the area for a second, before falling in complete darkness again. Albeit we didn't need as much light as humans did to see. Nonetheless, the heavy rain and the darkness of the night made it hard to see more than a few meters around us. I could still tell that we were on the right path, with the mountain to our left, and the vast forest to our right as we kept moving upwards.

"How much further?!" Shouted one of my companions over my shoulder. He wasn't far from me, but the storm made it hard to communicate, so we had to keep close.

I stopped and turned around, making sure the three of them were still following. "Not much longer!"

We kept going for a few more minutes, covering our faces as the wind changed and delivered the raindrops to our eyes. I stopped and looked up when I noticed the road didn't ascend anymore and instead flattened. There, still several meters forward, I could discern a small light that definitely wasn't natural. The rest stopped beside me and I pointed at the light, receiving several nods.

As we got closer, the shape of a relatively big house came into our sight. I wasn't surprised, seeing as how I knew this was our destination and the light source was inside the house, but the rest of my group decided to stop and look at the house for a moment. I moved in front of the door and knocked with my fist a few times. I needed to be careful to not break the wooden door, but also make enough noise to be heard over the rain.

Seconds passed and nobody came, and I could tell that the rest of the group were trying to discern what was happening. Finally, the sound of chains unlocking could be heard from the other side, and the three friends behind me stood still. The door opened slightly and I could discern the face of the person we had come to see. "Yes?! What do you need?!"

I inched a bit closer and smiled. "The weather is giving us some trouble! Why don't we catch up inside, old friend?!"

The old man's eyes widened and he closed the door again, unlocking the rest of the locks and opening it fully. "Quickly, inside, all of you! Merisa will kill me if the rain starts to pour in!"

I did as he said, and the rest of my group followed up after a second of hesitation. The inside of the house was also made of wood, and it gave a feeling of belonging and warm, as if it was a safe heavens of all the dark and horrible things in the outside world.

And in a way, it did serve that purpose.

When the last of us entered the house, the owner closed the door and set the locks into place again with a mastery that spoke of how many times he had opened and closed that door. The rest of the group looked around the open entrance of the house while I approached my friend. He turned to me and let a smirk appear on my lips. "It's been a long time, old friend. You have changed a lot these last years."

He raised an eyebrow and looked me up and down. "And you have a new look. What's it called, 'ragged cloak Elder'? Give them to me so I can throw them away before you start dripping all over the house."

One of my companions stepped beside me and pointed a finger at the man. "Watch your tongue, _human_. You should learn respect towards those that can-"

"Enough, Ceus." My companion straightened almost immediately. "Do as he says. We are guests here, and we shall _behave_." I pointed at each of them with a glare. "Understood?"

Receiving their affirmations and ragged cloaks, I passed them to the man alongside mine. "Go to the living room and warm up to the fire. I'm sure that most of you are cold after being inside the storm for all the way up." His sudden kindness caught them by surprise, but they didn't waste any time in following his suggestion. He knew they were probably perfectly fine, but I was aware that he wanted to speak to me alone. I followed him to the kitchen where he dumped the four cloaks into a bin, almost overflowing it with the new additions. "I'm guessing that one is new."

Knowing who he was referring to, I shook my head. "No, he simply doesn't like humans. Although, he is wise enough to not cause any trouble."

He hummed and addressed me with a stare. We didn't speak, and his eyes never left mine, even when he crossed his arms. We remained like that for a few seconds before he smiled and extended a hand. "It's good to see you, Talis."

I return the handshake and smile in kind. "You too, Serizawa."

He looked at the living room, where the rest of the Keepers were warming up to the fire. "So, mind explaining me what is going on before Merisa returns and finds four people in our house?"

My smile faded. "I will explain, but I would rather she be here as well. How are your kids?"

"Well, the three older ones are with her, helping on bringing the cart from the town. The rest are already asleep."

I smirked. "Are you sure about that?"

He rolled his eyes. "Yes, I am, because if I catch them outside of their beds, there will be no dessert for the next week!" After his shouting, several sets of steps could be heard running away from the entrance to the kitchen behind me. "Sorry about that. Children and naturally curious."

I let out a chuckled. "It is alright. Why don't I present you to the rest of my group?" I asked, waving my arm towards where the rest of the Keepers were seated.

"I would like to know the three strangers that have taken over my living room, yes." We walked outside of the kitchen and reached the living room. Their three heads snapped in our direction. Serizawa walked closer to the fire, not at all intimidated by the looks and the armor of my friends, and plopped more wood inside. "Feeling better?"

Cead was about to answer, but he was elbowed by the woman beside him. With a warm smile, she answered. "Yes. Thank you for taking us in in such short notice."

Serizawa smiled at her. "Well, with such good manners, I just can't leave you outside in the cold rain, now can I?"

I walked to his side and got their attention. "Fellow Keepers, I want to present you an old friend of mine: Ishiro Serizawa." The man in question nodded. "He is our host, and I expect you to treat him as such, personal feelings towards humans aside."

I turned to the only human in the room and extended my hand towards the Elder that had spoken before. The woman had a face that could only be described as beautiful, with eyes both yellow and red, completely unnatural for a human, and yet they only made her more alluring. Her hair flowed down her back, with one strand forward on each side of her face, all of it reaching to her waist. Her clothes were a combination of a short robe and armor, giving it a feeling of being mobile and yet resistant. Painted white with yellow accents, it covered her entire body and usually sported a halo on her back that reached above her head, which now was folded down in order to fit inside the cloak.

"Serizawa, this is Amatsumagatsuchi. Or, as she likes being called in human form, Matsu." The woman bowed slightly and Ishiro did the same.

"It is a pleasure." Said the man, extending his hand for her to shook, which she did with a smile. Luckily, she was the most diplomatic of us.

That still left me with the other two. Deciding to leave the difficult one for the end, I moved to the second female of our group. Her armor was almost the complete opposite of Matsu. It was almost fully black, with the scaly look that most of our armors had, and with her tail resting at her side. Her face didn't hold the same beauty, but she was by no means ugly. Her eyes were red and her two horns were almost as big as her face, even if that wasn't much in human form.

When we addressed her she stood up quickly, almost as if she was a spring. Her horns lighted up with red and black lighting. Good. "U-um, h-hi! I am A-Alatreon a-and-" I raised a hand, and slowly, moved it down, signaling her to calm down. She breathed slowly. This time, she spoke more calmly and with a smile. "Sorry, I tend to get n-nervous when I have to t-talk with people." She extended her hand. "Alatreon, but you can call me Areon."

Serizawa shook her hand and gave me a questioning look. "She is the one that is actually new, more or less. She has a good heart, but she can have an… _unstable_ personality." She almost receded as if hit and I laid a hand on her shoulder. "Nevertheless, she is reliable and is on her way to controlling herself."

She smiled, until a voice interrupted the moment. "Spare the presentation to me." We turned to the last in our merry group. Honestly, he had been the hardest to hide of all of us. His horns, while smaller than they were in his natural for, were still extremely difficult to hide, even under a cloak. Even in his human form, his eyes were almost fully covered by his horns, making him basically blind, yet he hasn't bumped with anything in the house once. A long, blonde beard covers the lower half of his face, and has the same color as his armor, which also had several blue highlights that shined in the dark. With his arms crossed, he turned his head towards us. "I have no need of a human friend."

I contained a sigh, deciding to simply glare at him, which made the Elder grumble and look away. "The last one of our group: Goldbeard Ceadeus. You may call him Ceus."

"Or Goldy." He turned to the sound of Matsu's voice and the snort from Areon. "As we like to call him."

Ceus growled. "I told you not to call me that!"

Matsu smirked. "Oh, did you, now? Sorry, but I don't think I heard you over the rain."

It soon descended into a harmless teasing match between them (mostly Matsu and Ceus). I crossed my arms and shook my head. "They behave like children sometimes, yet I would put my life in their hands without doubting it."

Serizawa nodded. "It is good to have friends that you can trust." He turned to me, his face now devoid of any fun or happiness. "But you four didn't come here just to visit me. I heard the rumors from the town: the Guild has gone insane and all hunters are being relocated to Gildegaran. So tell me, old friend, what in all the hells is going on?"

His Silver Eyes bore on me and I could hear the real question behind. _'What problems have you brought into my house?'_ I couldn't blame him for thinking that. Having to take care of a family isn't easy, especially when you are friends of the oldest enemies of humanity.

"I will explain when Merisa gets back. For now, you must know that the Guild has been doing something with the Life Essence and we need your help to reunite with our remaining two Keepers."

He raised an eyebrow. "That only makes six. Are you going senile on me?" His eyes widened. "Wait, don't tell me…"

I shook my head. "It's not what you think. But it is _worse_."

"How can it…" He shook his head. "You know what? Fine. You are all already in here, might as well wait a few minutes until they get back from the storm. By the way," he glanced the other three Keepers, "you said you wanted to reunite with the remaining two. Does that mean…?"

I nodded once. "Yes, we need to get to the other world. I was told its name was 'Remnant'."

* * *

 **/ Gore P.O.V. /**

I stood with my arms crossed as we looked to the sky. Why did Ozpin suddenly want us to do this? I mean, I'm not against it, but it is a big change for what we usually do. From capturing new Elders and Inferiors appearing in Remnant, to… this. And while there have been more and more problems with these 'Tamers', I don't think we are the right people for this. Don't get me wrong, if they appear, they will regret it. But I still wasn't sure about this…

"Thinking again?" I looked to my partner as she approached back. In her hands, a box from some bakery down on Vale. Sum opened it and I took one of the doughnuts inside. I love these things ever since Ruby came with one after buying cookies. "Don't worry, everything will be fine."

I took a bite after opening my helmet. "I know. Just… why us? Isn't bird-man or, well, _anybody else_ better for this than us?"

She shrugged and picked one herself. "It's a nice change from hunting down all the dragons that pop around. Plus, this meeting is very important. The Faunus need to know that they can live safely in Vale and-."

"Please, spare me." I said with a bored tone as I picked another. "I'm not brave enough for politics."

She let out a giggle. "It's always good to be informed, Gore." She finished her doughnut and picked another. "But yes, let's let Ozpin handle the paperwork and politics."

I nodded and we stepped into a comfortable silence. It has been two years ever since I came into Remnant, and I don't regret a single part of it. Well, I could have gone without dealing with the Plesioth a couple months back. Ancients, that thing was annoying! There are some tidbits here and there, and it hasn't been all sunshine and rainbows, but I wouldn't change it for the world.

The sound of a bullhead reached my ears and I looked up. Surely enough, two small dots on the sky started getting bigger until the two bullheads with the White Fang's symbol could be seen. Summer threw the now empty box to the trash and we waited for the machines to land. The technology of Remnant is impressive compared to my old world, but one gets used to it after a couple of years.

The bullheads landed and we approached. I didn't know who we were meeting exactly, only that Ozpin trusted us to protect them and make sure that the time they spent in Vale was without incidents. Again, I was more used to subduing or killing dragons, but I wasn't going to back out now. I wasn't going to leave Sum on her own.

Besides, I'm sure that my sister or Neo would find a way to tease me over it. Somehow.

The door opened and two armed guard stepped down. Following them, a man a bit taller than me, and with the build of a huntsmen, came out, wearing a long coat open at his chest. Behind him, a woman with cat ears walked down the bullhead holding the hand of a child with the same ears and that had to be the same age as Yang.

' _Ghira Belladonna and his family.'_ Said Summer through our link. I didn't know who we were supposed to protect, just that they were important for the White Fang. What I wasn't expecting was for them to be the leader of the organization and his family. Eh, after dealing with so many Elders, taking care of one family for a week can't be that bad.

Right?

Summer smiled and stepped forward, extending her hand towards the man. "Welcome to Vale, Mr. Belladonna. I'm Summer Rose and this is my partner, Gore." She pointed at me and I took his hand after he shook Sum's. "We'll be the ones keeping you safe for the coming week."

The man smiled back. "It is a pleasure to be meeting the legendary Summer Rose. I've heard of what you and your team were capable of at Beacon, and that now you have reached new heights with your new partner." Summer rubbed the back of her head and let out a nervous laugh, her cheeks pink. "Ghira Belladonna, and this is my wife and my little sunshine, Kali and Blake."

The two of them approached, the girl more by being pulled by her mother, almost as if she wanted her to meet new people. The woman's smile was warm as we shook hands. "It's always a delight seeing humans and Faunus working as equals. Especially with someone as famous as you." She said to Summer.

I expected them to be more like that idiot that came a few weeks back, arguing against the laws in favor of the Faunus. I think he was from the SDC or something. In any case, I prefer this. "I-I'm not _that_ good. But it's true that I wouldn't be where I am right now if it wasn't for Gore." I bet Summer wasn't expecting all the praise. I haven't heard much about how her team was at Beacon, but every time we step into the academy, there are whispers and fingers pointed at us. "Besides, Gore is just as good as me, if not better."

Suddenly, all the attention was on me. "I had very good teachers, her amongst them. But yes, I am definitely better than her." I said with a smirk.

She turned to me. "Hey! Don't be a jerk! You are supposed to say 'we are on the same level' or something like that!"

I shrugged. "What? And miss teasing you? It's almost as if you don't know me after all this time."

Her glare sent my way only made me snicker, especially when she inched closer, looking almost like Ruby when she was left without cookies. "You little…"

A boisterous laugh made us turn to our guests. "I can tell that you two get along wonderfully! I just wished more humans could get along with the Faunus as well as you do, miss Rose."

At another time, we would have argued that I wasn't a Faunus, but the Elders and Inferiors were a secret, and to not be suspicious, we told everyone we didn't know that I was a Faunus. I still didn't see the difference between them and humans, so I didn't care. Racism was stupid. Then again, humans can do very stupid things at times.

Miss Belladonna (you can't spend time around Ozpin and not getting used to calling people like this sometimes) kneeled down to her daughter and smiled at her. "C'mon sweetheart, why don't you say hi?"

The kid looked like she wanted to be anywhere else than here. "H-hi."

Summer cooed at seeing her and I grabbed her by the hood, yanking her back. "Summer, no."

She pointed with her arms and the girl. "But she's so cute! And she has cat ears! I just want to hug her!"

I sighed and raised my fist, delivering a punch to her shoulder, making her gasp in pain before kneeling and grasping the shoulder. The family looked in bewilderment while I spoke. "Sorry about that, but she gets like this when she sees children," I turned my head to her, "even if she already has _three of them_ to take care of."

"Oh my. I heard you were a mother as well, but three..." The other woman looked at Summer with a raised eyebrow. "I can't imagine how you manage."

She rubbed her shoulder and sent me a glare before answering. "Well, I'm not alone in taking care of them. I have _a lot_ of help. But they are very good girls… most of the time." She cleared her throat and stood straight. "Anyway, we should get going before it gets dark. I'm sure you will want to rest after the trip from Menagerie."

Kali smiled. "A bath and sleep time sounds delightful."

We started walking towards one of the bullheads that moved people between Beacon and Vale proper, while the guards carried the bags of the family. Summer took a peek at them and moved closer to Ghira. "I didn't know the White Fang had a security branch."

The leader sighed. "I don't like it myself, but not everyone is as open minded as you, and some can act violently. So some of my subordinates insisted on a small armed escort for things like this."

Summer hummed in acknowledgement and we got inside the bullhead. "By the way, miss Rose…"

Summer hefted one of the bags and put it inside while answering. "Please, just Summer."

The Faunus smiled. "Then you can call me Kali, dear. I was wondering, why did you accept to guard us, with three children back at home? Won't they miss you?"

My partner sat as the bullhead lurched up. I still find I'm better at starting the flight than these machines. "Well, yes, but it's only for a week and we are one drag- one _bullhead_ ride away from Patch. Plus, you are also giving a small speech there at the end of the week, so that means I will get to see them by then."

While the two women talked, I found myself besides Ghira. "Tell me, Gore, do you have a family as well?"

"I don't have children, if that's what you mean." I leaned back on my seat with a smile. "But there are a lot of people I consider my family, whether we are related by blood or not. And I would do anything for them."

"I agree wholeheartedly." He said. "I believe that a family doesn't need to be related by blood, only by the bonds between them. I consider everyone in the White Fang a member of _my_ family, and I would also do anything to help protect them." To my surprise, his smile faded and he let out a sigh.

"Is something wrong?"

He gave me a look before speaking. "There are some people inside the Fang that believe that we should take more… _aggressive_ action against humanity. There aren't many, but hate spreads with ease and I fear that something horrible may happen."

I hummed as I thought about what he said. I wouldn't be surprised if some Faunus wanted to have revenge against the humans. I had seen how they were treated sometimes, and I know I would want to harm the ones that hurt me as well. It wouldn't end well for any side, but I know a thing or two about losing myself to hate and rage.

Urgh, human politics. Nothing was easy when they were involved.

Returning to the conversation, shrugged. "I don't have any advice for you, I'm afraid. I don't do politics, but I know that if I were you, I would want to keep those I truly care about away from harm." I gave a look to his family and he gave a nod in return.

"That is something I intend to do, whatever the future throws at us."

Afterwards, the conversation took in a lighter theme. We were taken to one of the most prestigious hotels in Vale and given a room. I wanted to transform, but we were in the middle of Vale, and going outside of the walls just for that would be a waste of time. After a quick call home to tell them that we were alright, we decided to call it a day.

Sum and I were given a single room with separate beds. Honestly, none of us cared. We had slept in worse conditions, but Sum still went to the bathroom to bath and change. I decided to pick my scroll and start playing a game. When Neo showed me how to play, I broke the scroll by mistake. But after a few weeks, I managed to actually beat her in one of those fighting games.

They were a good way to kill time and have a friendly completion after training. If Neo didn't cheat at every turn she got.

Little brat.

Summer came out of the bathroom and laid on the bed with a please sigh. "I needed that."

I let out a snort. "Don't be so dramatic. It wasn't that long of a day."

She twisted to look at me. "Look who's talking, you walking drama queen of the edge."

I paused the game and looked at her. "I prefer the term 'epic', thank you very much."

Summer let out a laugh. "Sure." We stayed silent for a while, until she spoke again. "It's hard to believe it has been two years since we met each other. But I'm glad we did."

"You damn right are, since I'm always saving your butt."

"I'm being serious, Gore." I shut up and listened to what she had to say. "Other worlds, dragons, hunters, betrayal… it's funny. I thought this kind of stuff only happened in fairy tales, but look at us now. We are trying to save not one, but two worlds. That's something that not many people can brag about."

Humming, I answered her. "And yet, I don't think I have ever been this happy. There are still some problems that keep coming back, but I have family and friends to rely on. And that is something weird for an Elder to say. But I wouldn't change anything."

Summer smiled and crossed her hands behind her head. "Yeah, me neither."

…

"Although I wouldn't mind if Neo held back with the pranks."

"Yup." I answered. "Remember the one she did with the washing machine and the red paint?"

She covered a groan with her hands. "Oh Gods, don't remind me…"

Two years, huh? Time sure does fly. And I had the feeling this was just the beginning.

…

I don't know of what, though. Meh, wait and see, I suppose.

* * *

 **A.N.: We are on the timeskip chap. I planned on making this longer, but don't worry, you shall see the events that transpired soon enough.**

 **Also, for those wondering, the names of the new Elders are pronounced like this:**

 **Talis: just as it is written.**

 **Ceus: just like the Greek God, only changes when written.**

 **Matsu: again, just like it is written.**

 **Areon: æ – r – e – n (written in phonemes).**

 **And yes, the name of the new human is a reference to Godzilla. But** _ **only**_ **the name, nothing more.**

* * *

 **Omake! Pokémon part 3!**

The moment Gore appeared, three things happened at once.

First, Summer realized that she had missed where she was aiming at. Probably due to the annoying 'God' at her shoulder shouting in excitement. Maybe the weirdness of all of this made her throw her aim… though it was most probably the little being by her side.

Second, a confused Gore appeared, not in the ground, but in mid-air. Now, normally, he wouldn't have any problem catching flight and stabilizing himself in the air. But he was too close to the ground to even have time to flap his wings once, and the suddenness of it had caught him by surprise.

And finally, the several times bigger dragon was just right above the bear that would be his intended opponent.

And gravity decided that she wasn't taking the day off.

There was a loud _'thud!'_ as Gore landed on the bear. Sumer and the chibi god by her side cringed at the impact at the same time. Gore looked around in confusion until he noticed the strange thing he had landed on. Raising his leg, he gave the bear a look, trying to figure out if it was still alive or not.

Surprising him, the bear got up, and with a strange sound, charged his fist towards Gore. Instincts kicking in, Gore stepped to the side, making the creature miss. Extending his wingarm, he grabbed the creature by the leg and started swinging it from side to side, smashing it on the ground several times before throwing it away with enough strength that Summer and Necro lost sight of it.

The chibi being twisted his head to the side. "That… I mean, a bit of an overreaction, but… that… it was disappointing and fun at the same time…"

Sum ignored it and walked towards Gore. "You alright?"

The dragon nodded. _'Yeah, just a bit surprised is all. Sorry if you wanted to keep… whatever that was, but I just reacted on instinct. Maybe a little warning next time?'_

"Actually, the trainers in this world tend to shout the name of their Pokémon before 'I chose you!' or some shit like that." The tiny floating being shrugged. "Though I don't know if you will hear it from inside the pokeball. Maybe, probably."

Summer glared at the being. "You know, you are not doing a very good job of being 'the tutorial guy'."

The being groaned. "Fine. I'll tell you more, but let's keep moving. The sooner we reach the city the better."

Shortly after, Summer reached the end of the forest and arrived at a city. Or well, a very, _very_ small village that _looked_ like a city. "Welcome to Kantai city."

Summer looked around. To her right was an elegant building that dwarfed the rest of the ones in the city, with white walls and blue ceiling, and a design that screamed 'filthy reach'. To her left, the road lead down to the main road in the city. "Are you sure this can be qualified as a city?"

The small god shrugged. "We are in a pretty small island. Honestly, vale is a few times bigger than the island itself, so don't be so surprised. And the people in this world tend to be very respective towards nature, which means that most cities aren't as big as the kingdoms in Remnant."

Suddenly realizing something, Summer turned to the god. "Aren't people going to ask questions when they see you?"

"Nah. Only you can see or hear me, so don't worry. That being said, don't start talking with me randomly, people will think that you are crazy or something."

"Great." Summer muttered. She was liking this so-called god less and less. "So, what do we do now?"

"Easy." Answered the being. "There is a tournament in these islands. To access it, you need to defeat the kahuna of each island, which is basically the strongest person in them. I will guide you to them, and afterwards, you will participate in the tournament."

"Oh, right! Before I forget!" He started gathering a ball of light and darkness, and after a few seconds, it dispelled and a small wristband with a colorful decoration appeared. "Here. This marks you as someone doing the Island challenge. Normally, you would have to go through several combats and trials on each island and bla, bla, bla. But, for the sake of time, I have made some twists to the rules just for you. In fact, the people that do this are normally 11 year old kids."

"Wait, really?" Asked Summer in bewilderment.

The being shrugged. "Yeah. This world can be weird like that."

She blinked a couple of times, then sighed. Wrapping the wristband, she spoke to the small being. "Okay, where to?"

The little being closed his eyes and hummed. "The one you have to beat, in a _proper_ combat this time, is Mayla. She is at the Ruins of Life. C'mon, I know just the way."

* * *

 **Reviews!**

 **Omnisaurus: you know bad things gonna happen when Salem comes into play.**

 **proiu: scheming and plotting by Salem. Nothing good can come out of that.**

 **RabidArmenian: NO! ABSOLUTELY NO RAJANGS!  
And please, let's not ruin this with the ships. There will be relationships in the future, but not that.**

 **AuraSonic: thank you. And most probably will when I start classes.**

 **gold crown dragon: thank you. I like when people give ideas like this. I will** _ **try**_ **to include as many Elder Dragons as possible** _ **without**_ **clogging the story due to an excess of characters.**

 **Wizzer96: personally, I hate the Rajang. It's so fricking obnoxious to hunt that just thinking about it… ugh.**

 **Guest: I planned on making this chapter longer, but it would have been too much for a single chapter.**

 **Kalbario: Luna the tsundere, that's her name. And thanks, I do try my best to deliver a fun story.**

 **Have a great day!**


	33. Chapter 31: Unexpected

**A.N.: hello there! I' really sorry I am late, but work is draining the life out of me. Since I am starting studying the next week, I don't know how much I will have. But more on that later!**

 **To the chapter!**

* * *

 **Black Dragon, White Rose**

 **Chapter 31**

 **Unexpected**

 **/ Summer P.O.V. /**

The following days went by as good as they could be. Of course, being a Faunus rally over an entire week, the event was bound to have its problems, but apart from a few idiots that became a bit braver than usual, everything went by without a hitch.

There was this guy that decided to start insulting Faunus-kind… in the middle of a fully Faunus congregation. The guy was lucky a police officer could get him out with only a few broken bones.

Brave? Yes. Intelligent? Debatable.

And so, by the end of the week, we reached Patch. I would have offered the leader and his family to stay with us (especially since Ruby, Yang and Neo would have loved to have a new friend) but with a house filled with secret dragons right on the other side of the backyard, they had to go to the hotel as planned.

Oh yeah, we finished the house! Or, as the girls like to call it, the 'Dragons' Den'. And honestly, we couldn't thank Ozpin enough for finding someone to help us with that. That guy just went in, designed something that could only be called a summer's house for royalty, and brought a team with him that finished it in less a couple of months. Turns out, the guy was a descendant of one of the designers that built Beacon, and Ozpin has him on a paycheck to maintain and fix the school.

Turns out a school full of hormonal teenagers with weapons of mass destruction tends to be the stage of all sort of 'accidents'. Who would have thought?

Luckily, team STRQ hadn't been like that…

…

Okay, we probably gave people like him more work than anybody else in years.

In any case, I had offered Mr. Belladonna (or Ghira, as he insisted on being called) and his family to show them around Patch. They accepted and now we were walking through the settlement. People that passed by waved and greeted us most of the time. Me and my old team were very well known in here, and since people in Patch usually didn't have any problems with Faunus, they didn't mind that we were with the leader of the White Fang.

"And right around the corner is an arcade that my girls love." I said to the family behind me. "It's really good to spend some time and just have fun." I shrugged with a smile. "Honestly, I wouldn't be surprised if we found most of Signal's students in there."

We rounded the corner just as I was talking. "Maybe even some of the teachers as we-." And I failed to notice the person right around the corner and bumped into them. "Oh, I am really sorry to-!"

My words died in my mouth when the person smiled back cheekily. "You come here often, love?"

I smiled and jumped to hug him. "Tai!" We both laughed for a few seconds until I broke the hug. "You are _so_ cheesy."

He laughed nervously and rubbed the back of his head. "Yeah, not my best pickup line."

I giggled and looked behind him. "Are the girls with you?"

As if to answer my question, a couple of shouts took my attention. "Mom!"

I turned and waited with a smile from ear to ear as Ruby and Yang crossed the street straight into my arms. I hugged them tightly. "Hello, my little flowers." I kissed them both on the front and looked around again. "Where's your sister?"

"Ehem."

We all turned to Gore, who pointed just right above his head. There was a sound of shattering glass and Neo appeared with a smile atop of Gore's shoulders, holding an ice-cream on her hand, the same flavor as her name. I laughed lightly and moved towards them. Gore sighed and bent down, letting Neo and I hug. "Hello to you too, my little prankster."

"I know for a fact that what you can't use is your voice." Said Gore, in an annoyed tone. "These two legs on my shoulders work just fine."

Neo shrugged and placed her arms on his head as she ate the ice-cream. Gore sagged down and just went with it. The rest of us laughed, until Ghira addressed me. "I suppose this is the rest of your family?"

I suddenly realized that I had almost forgot about them. "I-I'm so sorry! I forgot to introduce you." I cleared my throat. "This is my husband, Taiyang Xiao-Long, and my three daughters: Ruby, Yang and Neopolitan, or Neo."

Tai shook his hand and did the same with Kali. The leader of the Fang kneeled down in front of Ruby and Yang, with the former hiding a bit behind my legs. "Hello, little ones. I am Ghira and this my wife Kali."

Said woman smiled warmly and gestured for her daughter to come over. "C'mon, Blake! Don't be rude and present yourself!"

The girl walked unsurely towards Yang. "Umm, hi. I'm Blake."

Yang stood silent for a moment before a grin split her face in two. "Hi, Blake! I'm Yang, and these are my sisters Ruby and Neo! You seem like a good _purr-son_ , so I think we're going to get along just fine!"

Tai and Gore snickered, and Ruby groaned, but I felt a bit mortified. What if Ghira and Kali took it the wrong way? "As for how I know it, call it a gut _feline_."

Oh my Gods, Yang.

To my surprise, Kali started laughing and Ghira chuckled with a smile on his face. A wave of relief washed over me, but I still turned to Yang, who was smiling at a confused Blake. "Yang, that could have offended them." I turned to my oldest daughter. "And stop encouraging her with the puns!"

Neo immediately looked away. I saw you giving her a thumbs up, young woman!

A hand landed on my shoulder. I turned to face Ghira. "Do not worry. They are children and all is in good fun."

I nodded and urged Ruby forward. While she wasn't exactly timid, she wasn't as open as Yang. "H-Hi! I'm Ruby. I like weapons, videogames and books!"

Blake answered, a little bit more confidently now. "I also like books." She pulled out one from a small backpack she was wearing. From then on, the three descended into an actual conversation, the shyness completely gone. I noticed Neo smiling down at the two from her spot while Gore crossed his arms in an annoyed gesture.

During these two years, Neo had become the _de facto_ older sibling of the three. Gone was the scared little girl we took in. She now as heathy as she could be, if a bit smaller than a girl her age should be. According to the doctors, she was around two years older than Yang, which made her 11 or 12, while Yang was 9 and Ruby 7. She had grown close to all of us, as if she had always been a part of our family, not to mention that she was really good with her Semblance. And with the training we were giving her, she was close to the level of Beacon 1st years.

Yang was doing amazingly in Signal. Hard not to when your father and uncle were teachers, and always made sure you made the homework. Well, at least Tai did. She excelled in combat class, especially since most students didn't know too much about hand-to-hand combat and they hadn't created their weapons yet. And while she could be loud during class, we made sure she didn't skip on her studies.

Ruby, meanwhile, was still too young for any type of combat. Yang's class used protections, as children still didn't had a great control over their Auras. That didn't stop Ruby from watching her sister fight or going to the upper-years class and watching them fight. Still, she is really studious and I can tell that she can't wait to make her own weapon. And I can't wait to help her make it.

I turned to Tai. "Why don't we let them go to the arcade while we sit on the café across the street?" I suggested, getting the attention of everyone in the group. I could see the stars in the eyes of my two girl and the hopeful glace Blake was giving her parents. "Neo can look after them while we relax. Right, Neo?"

If there was one thing Neo was always serious about was protecting her family. Especially if she could play videogames in between. She nodded quickly and Kali turned to her daughter. "Do you want to go, sweetheart?"

Blake nodded and Kali smiled. "I see no problem with that." Commented Ghira. "We came here to speak in favor of the rights of Faunus, but that doesn't mean we can't enjoy our stay."

With that decided, Neo hopped off Gore's shoulders and guided the three other girls to the arcade. As we walked, I talked with gore through our link. _'Make sure they are fine, okay?'_

' _Way ahead of you.'_ During these two years, Gore had linked with Neo as well after we returned from the other world. Hard not to when she and Maggie where almost always together.

With that reassurance, we took seat on one of the tables on the street, right in front of the arcade. After ordering our drinks, we settle into comfortable chat. Ghira was imposing, but he was a great man and someone with an open mind and very clear ideals. Kali was warm and we could relate to each other, both being mothers. Honestly, she and I settled into changing anecdotes of our children and how it was a shame we couldn't embarrass them right now.

Gore was the quieter, but I could still tell he was relaxed and wasn't left out. When Tai asked why Ghira had brought his family, the answer the leader gave him was a curious one. "We wanted our daughter to see world. If it were any other kingdom, I wouldn't have brought her. Atlas and the SDC are out of the question, Mistral is still extremely classist and discrimination is still relatively common outside of Haven, and Vacuo is… well, _Vacuo._ Vale is the safest city, and a good place for her to see that there is more world outside of Kuo Kuana."

He wasn't wrong, and with us around, we would make sure that nothing would come to pass. The White Fang did a marvelous job, and it was good that the Council approved more laws in favor of equality.

We spent a couple of hours simply talking and enjoying our drinks. I always had an eye on the girls through the glass, watching as they enjoyed the games and invited Blake to their favorites. Neo played less, always making sure that they were safe and sound, but whenever she played, she didn't even leave their digital ashes. I think there was some problem with a kid that wanted to push Ruby away from one of the machines, but Neo solved that, even when the parent came to her complaining about her child crying.

I thought I was going to have to reprimand Neo, but then I realized the mother was Karen. Ugh. Nobody liked Karen. She was always causing problems wherever she went, and her child was growing up go be just like her. Thank goodness her child didn't want to be a huntsman. I couldn't imagine what Tai would have to suffer if he was his teacher.

Leaving that aside, the rest of the afternoon went by without anything worth mentioning. Tomorrow was the last congregation and the last day the Belladonna family was staying, and while I wanted to return to my home, it was a shame they had to leave. The girls hadn't left each other's side for the rest of the day, and the puppy eyes when the family had to return to the hotel were _legendary_. But I resisted!

A few more seconds and we might not have lived to tell the tale.

Ghira said it was okay if we went with our family, seeing as how we were 10 minutes away if something happened. Patch was a safe place, but I didn't want to risk it. Getting too confident at the end of a mission could spell disaster, and I could handle one more day away from the rest. Gore, on the other hand, decided to go with them, if just to transform back and stretch a bit, but he said he would be with us before dinner.

During that dinner, we exchanged scroll numbers with them. The CCT tower at Menagerie wasn't as good as the ones in the kingdoms, being more a repeater than a tower, but at least we could keep in touch if anything happened. I had to admit, I was going to miss them.

* * *

 **/ Gore P.O.V. /**

"…and with these new laws, we come one step closer to the equality that we desire. For only together can we survive in this world. We find strength in friends, in family, in those around us. Whichever race they may be." Ghira made a small pause. "Look at the person beside you. At your coworkers and partners. They are the people around you, the ones that bring happiness to our hearts and keep the monsters of this world away. Because…"

I still don't like human politics, but even I felt moved at his speeches. And I wasn't even a Faunus! Thank the Ancients that he was the one on the microphone and not me. I can have a heart to heart every once in a while, but rallying people like this? Bringing them together for a greater cause? Nope. Not my specialty.

Sith lords are our specialty, though.

…

Okay, let's just focus back on reality. My mind does weird things when I space out.

The crowd on Patch wasn't as big as the ones we had been seeing on the rest of Vale, but with it being a settlement, it was to be expected. And while the other speeches had been given in specific buildings or symbolic places, this time we were on the main street. It was filled to the brim and even some owners of the shops around had come out to see what Ghira was saying.

I stood with my arms crossed behind Ghira on one of the sides of the stage, while Summer did the same on the other side. After two years living here, I wasn't expecting anything to happen. Sure, those assholes that call themselves the Tamers had tried a few things during the week, but they were disorganized and didn't have the resources to pull anything. And with my very presence, they shat themselves and run away.

No, seriously. One guy _literally_ shat himself when he tried to cause a ruckus and I came to stop him. Having a better sense of smell than humans wasn't always a good thing.

But with the fame I had gained with the band, I wasn't surprised they were scared of me. The first time we brought Luna to Patch, they tried to assault us, _again_. Key word being 'tried'. Ever since then, I had taken it upon myself on doing some 'patrolling' on Patch, and whenever possible, in Vale.

Not that they posed a threat. It was simply that I was tired of having to deal with them when we went down to Vale or the settlement. It wasn't always, but they were annoying enough. And since Ozpin didn't have a problem with me doing that, I had become their bane. Every time they saw me, they would either run away, or stand completely still until I passed by. And if I was in a bad mood, they made for amazing punching bags.

I had also noticed that most of us Elders seemed to have a similar effect on Faunus. I know I was intimidating, but Doctor Gaster had a theory as to why. As most Faunus had enhanced senses, they also had better instincts, and with that came the feeling of being close to a predator. Of course, after a while in my presence, they calmed down, and some of them didn't react like that. Ghira, for example, hadn't been afraid of me when we first met, but I could tell Kali and Blake had kept their distance for a while. As for why it only happened in some cases, he couldn't explain, stating that Faunus were still a mystery to science in many ways.

In any case, the speech was almost over and everything seemed to be going fine. I focused on my feelers and checked the place. Kali and Blake were directly behind Ghira and between Summer and me. The crowd was completely silent, listening to the speech and the buildings around us didn't seem to have anyone that could surprise us from a roof or something like that.

Wait…

There.

I turned my head towards my left. The guards that were keeping the perimeter around us had already noticed the hooded figure approaching the stage. It was hard not to when most of the people where still and the figure took a straight path directly towards the zone no one was allowed to enter. But my worries weren't where the figure was heading but the figure itself.

I had felt weapons on it. _Hunter_ weapons. And I could see the silver aura around it just as with Summer and Ruby.

' _Summer, we have trouble.'_ The moment my voice entered her head, she sprung up and looked where I was looking. _'I may be wrong, but this guy seems like a hunter from my world. And they have Silver Eyes.'_

Summer walked quietly towards my side of the stage. _'See if you can get some help from the rest. I'll keep an eye on our guest.'_

I nodded subtly when she passed me and focused on my Semblance. During these two years, and with the help of Ozpin, I had managed to link with almost everyone that was important to me, so I had to choose someone quickly. _'Sister, can you hear me?'_

I had the idea of calling Luna for a moment, but we needed to _not_ harm the bystanders. Don't get me wrong, she had improved a lot, but she wasn't precisely the best to call when a crowd of civilians was around. A moment later, her voice came, and I could feel the smile she was wearing. Oh Ancients, what had she and Neo done now? _'Hello, brother. Is everything alright?'_

' _I don't think so. We may have a hunter in here and we might need help if things get out of hand.'_ I could feel her mirth disappear, completely overrun by a feeling of worry and seriousness. _'Don't worry, we haven't begun fighting yet, but the faster you can get here, the better.'_

' _Should I tell anybody else?'_

' _Daur is in Vale with Ozpin and Daros, and we both know Luna won't be good with so many people in one place. I'll contact Mid, so get going.'_

' _Fine. Stay safe, brother.'_

' _I will.'_ I looked where the figure was. It was almost at the edge of the perimeter and Summer was already waiting for them. I don't think there was enough time to call Mid, so I just moved closer to where Summer was.

Even still, this was very strange. There was a hunter, but we hadn't received any warning of an Inferior or Elder from our world? This didn't fit, and I could tell by the way Summer was glaring at the hooded figure that I wasn't the only one thinking that.

"Who's coming?" She asked, not taking her eyes of the approaching figure.

"My sister. But I think you and I will be enough to deal with this."

She took a deep breath. "Let's hope so."

The figure arrived in front of us just as Ghira finished, making the crowd clap and cheer. All except out unwanted guest. Before we could do anything, one of the guards approached the figure. "I'm sorry, but you can't come closer."

There was no answer from the figure, and before the guard could realize it, Summer had blocked a blade that was aiming for his throat. The people around us gasped and panicked, running away as they shouted. I moved to the guard and threw him away from the figure. A little rough, but I was focused on the attacker.

Summer diverted the blade away and kicked the figure back. I stepped beside her and reached for my weapon. "Who are you? Why are you here?"

The figure's answer was to throw his cloak away, revealing the armor underneath. There was a strange mask covering his face and the armor looked like one of the Inferiors I had to kill when they got into my territory. Some strange monkey with a long nose.

The hunter charged at Summed with both his blades, but I dashed forward and sent him backwards with a kick to his stomach. Tai was a lot of help when I needed to improve my fighting without a weapon, and I've been developing my own style as he advised. Honestly, I just loved grabbing people and throwing them around, but a good punch or kick here and there worked wonders. "She asked you a question. It's rude not to answer."

The hunter flipped it's blades around, a red aura covering him as he charged at me. I moved to the side at the last second as a gunshot rang, the bullet striking him straight in the face and cracking his mask a bit. He stumbled away, but didn't even let a groan of pain. Charging again, I met him head on and grabbed both his hands before he could hit me. I extended my left wingarm and grabbed his head. Letting go of his hands, I smashed him onto the ground, then threw him at Summer.

After two years fighting together, we basically worked as one, and when the flying hunter reached her, she struck upwards, sending him up and then down, hitting the ground hard. Deciding this was enough, just as he stumbled into his feet, I turned him around and smashed my leg on his private parts. To my surprise, the guy didn't even flinch, and I almost didn't catch the blade aimed at my chest.

With his arm still, I brought my elbow and smashed it on his arm. I heard the usual _'crack!'_ of the bone breaking and the weapon hitting the floor, but again, the guy simply moved his other blade to my face. I turned, dodging the blade barely, and threw him over myself to the ground. Summer stepped beside me, with guards now around us aiming at the interloper. He got up again, his right arm hanging limply by his side and the broken mask showing one silver eye looking at us.

When he readied himself, Summer and I nodded to each other and charged first. He went to do the same, and when we were close, he swung his blade at me. I ducked and Sum blinked (as she called using her Semblance) behind the guy, sweeping his legs with the blunt edge of her sword. While the hunter was in mid-air, I rose quickly and grabbed his head with my hand, bringing him down and cracking the ground right where his head impacted. What remained of the crowd around us, including the guards, became silent.

Getting up from my kneeling position, I looked at his now closed eye. Summer reached for his weapon nonetheless and I moved to take his mask off. I was startled when I saw the face of the hunter. He couldn't be older than 16, maybe 17 years old. But what really caught my attention where the burning marks with traces of silver on his face.

Summer walked beside me and held a gasp when he saw our attacker. "He's just a child…"

I rose my head just as I felt my sister at the edge of the crowd, moving quickly towards us. "Child or not, we can't leave him here." She nodded and went for the other weapon on the ground. I turned and addressed Ghira, who had ordered her family away from the stage. "It's fine. We have taken care of the problem."

"So I see…" He muttered. Walking down the stage, his eyes didn't leave the unconscious hunter. "Did he say why he attacked us?"

I shook my head. "No, but I doubt he was here for you or your rally." My sister approached us and took the weapons when Summer handed them to her. "We'll take him away, don't worry."

Not waiting for an answer, I walked to where the hunter was laying, now with my sister and Sum watching him. The guards had pushed the crowd away, which I was thankful for. The last thing we needed was hundreds of people around a hunter from my world. "It seems you didn't need my help at all." Greeted my sister as I approached.

Seeing the chance, I shrugged. "I'm just _that_ good."

It earned me a punch from both of them, which I took with a smile. Summer spoke next. "So, standard protocol?"

My sister and I looked at each other and nodded back to her. "Just like the rest. But let's take him out of the settlement first. We can't transform in here."

And so, with the hunter on my shoulder, we made our way outside of the settlement. Sum stayed behind to assure the family that everything was alright and to say goodbye, as they had to go back home as well. When we were away from prying eyes, I transformed and put the hunter on my back. My sister did the same and we waited for Summer.

Seeing as how we couldn't rely on a rope for her and others to fly with me, some people at the base had designed portable mounts. I didn't like the idea at all, but I had to agree at the end. It felt humiliating, even so, I have grown accustomed to it. And it was safer and more comfortable for me than a rope. In its comprised state, it was the size of a small box a bit bigger than the handle of Sum's blade. When it was deployed, it extended (somehow) into a saddle that grabbed onto the scales on my back.

My partner arrived shortly after and secured the hunter as she sat on my back. A few minutes of flight and we reached the base. When we had first come in, it didn't look finished at all, with several parts of it still being repaired, but after Ozpin convinced the Council on aiding us, the base has proven its worth.

The hangar doors opened and we landed on the busy hangar. Daur went ballistic when he was told that the humans at the base would have to be informed of what we were and that we could transform, but he reluctantly agreed after Ozpin spoke with him. I didn't like the idea at first, but it really made things easier for us, and nothing has happened in these two years.

At least the people inside aren't completely terrified of us now.

And I suppose that all the money they receive from Vale keeps their mouths shut. Money and politics, what a great combination.

That aside, we found the doctor waiting for us as I transformed back into human form. "Welcome, my friends, welcome. It would seem as if something has interrupted your escort duties." I placed the hunter on a bed that other scientists had brought and watched as they cuffed him on it. "Why don't we talk while we walk? I'm sure your friends will be glad to see you."

We moved through the corridors towards one of the labs. I was proud to say that during these two years, we've all had made great work. We hadn't only imprison rebellious Elders, but also hunters that didn't want to cooperate. I didn't have a count of how many had come into this world, but not all of them were in here. Some decided to live peacefully on the outside world and were left to their own devices as long as they didn't attack humans.

"So, another hunter, hm?" Mentioned Gaster. "I think with these it makes 8 that we have in here." One of his Semblance hands reached for a scroll. "Add to that the 11 creatures we are keeping in here and we can almost call ourselves an otherworldly hotel." He turned his head towards us. "There was no Elder or Inferior with this one?"

Summer shook her head as we rounded a corner. "Not that we know of. He simply appeared on the rally and charged at us. At first I thought he was some human supremacist, but when he revealed his armor and weapons, we were sure he wasn't from here."

Gaster hummed. "I see." He tapped a few times on his scroll. "I find it strange, though. Why would the guild send a hunter here if it's not to vanish a creature to this world?"

"We thought the same." I told him. "Maybe with Kirin on their side, they have decided to send hunters after us?"

Sum rubbed her chin. "That… actually makes sense. But they do not know enough about this world to come after you guys. And even if they did, finding us wouldn't be easy, not even talking about reaching us."

"Indeed!" The shout from the doctor startled all of us. "This just another mystery that we need to solve! Oh, taking on this work was the best decision in my career!"

Finally, we reached the lab in question and the doors opened. It was the main lab, and the biggest one. Scientists ran around doing Ancients know what, while others wrote on computers or handled machines. And in the center of all of this, two figures stood out, if only for their lack of lab coats.

The moment the doors opened, the figures turned towards us, leaving aside what they were doing. "Guys!" Mabel ran towards us and hugged Summer. "It's so good to see you!" She did the same with my sister and me.

"I thought you were on a mission." Said Alma as she approached. "Did something happen?" I pointed to the hunter on the bed, now being moved to one of the sides of the room. "Oh."

These two had decided to help in the base with their knowledge of the Elders and Inferiors of our world, while also learning from the scientists here. And seeing as how they were quite well informed, their help on the lab had been well received. Also, Mabel was almost on a constant state of caffeinated energy for the first months with all the technology and research she made here.

Truly, this place was filled to the brim with mad people.

As, we moved to the place where they had moved the hunter, they connected him to a few machines. Mabel was about to jump at the opportunity, when she realized the age of the hunter. "This isn't right. Hunters need to be at least 21 to officially join the guild. Before that, they don't leave the training school and rarely do they go any type of hunts."

Alma chimed in. "And even then, it's just mostly watching as an actual hunter kills something small. This kid shouldn't even have his own armor." Alma reached to it and gave it a good look. "Besides, this armor is no joke. You should count yourselves lucky that Remnant's Dust has the firepower it has." She said, pointing at the broken mask. "Else you might really be in trouble with armors like this."

As they started talking theories, I noticed Mabel slipping closer to me. Not this again. "Sooo…"

"No."

"But-."

"Nope."

"Even if-."

"Never."

"You haven't even listened to what I have to say!"

I sighed. I was going to regret this. "What do you want, Mabel?"

She stepped in front of me, her red eye gleaming, even her blind white one shone with excitement. "Can I get a sample of your Virus to run more tests on it?!"

…

"No." Her illusion disappeared. "I already risked enough by letting Gaster create a cure. I'm already putting a lot of trust on the people here. I don't need to be worried about another mad scientist trying to do things to my most powerful weapon."

"C'mon. You know you can trust me!"

I tilted my head to the side slightly. "Really, now?" It wasn't that I didn't trust her, more that she got carried away when something related to us Elders reached her hands.

She shrunk under my gaze and tapped the points of her fingers together. "Pretty please~?"

I stayed silent for a moment, tapping my chin. She looked up with hope in her eyes. I knew this was cruel, but it was so much fun. I looked down at her and flicked her head. "In your dreams."

She deflated and I turned to Sum. "I'm going to do a round to see if they need help with any of the Elders. Want to come?" If something grave were to happen, we would be warned immediately, but it was a good way to pass time. And some of the Elders needed to be on the outside every once in a while.

She smiled. "Sure." She turned to Gaster. "Call us if he wakes up."

My sister patted my shoulder. "I will be heading home, brother. See you there." I nodded to her as we parted ways.

The place was enormous, and many of the people inside used small cars to move around quickly. Honestly, it would have taken me weeks to learn the way inside this maze if I didn't have my feelers. Even Sum used me as a guide to walk around the place. So we walked, passing by several labs and installations. The people around waved or stared at us in awe. We were the two people that brought in some of the most dangerous creatures they had ever seen. And alive at that.

Talking about them, on these two years, things seemed to have calmed down a bit. No other Keeper had been sent here, and I doubted the Guild had enough resources to send _every_ Elder they found here. So, counting the one we had brought today, we had captured 8 hunters, with only one agreeing to return peacefully, but we had captured 16 Elders and Inferiors, setting free 5 of them, and killing another four that we couldn't capture. Not every one could be kept alive.

We had tried to give a change to the remaining 11 inside, but they didn't listen or didn't want to agree with us. As for the rest of the hunters, they were either dead or we couldn't find them. Seeing as how most of them tried to kill us, I was okay with that result.

And with the help of Mabel and Alma, the scientist were experimenting with the powers and Dust, truing to combine the two. Some did yield results, like the combination of Fire Dust and some of the powder Luna used to power her fire, with… _explosive_ results. I had a cartridge of those bullets on my person, and I had used them only once.

I cleaned up the Grimm coming after us. And half of a forest in Mistral.

In any case, Summer was hoping that one of our last captives could be convinced to join us, or to at the very least, to not act with hostility against humans. We hadn't had any luck with Elders joining us to protect Remnant, though I could understand them. It wasn't that we needed them, but it would be nice to have some reinforcements, with Mid and Icharias jumping from world to world to check on their village and Luna not being the most careful around.

We reached the cell of said Elder, and walked to the main doors, transforming myself. We nodded at the guard, who opened the door with a thumbs up. As the doors began moving, we could hear the Elder at the other side charging his wings. Summer sighed and I shared her annoyance. We stepped inside and I was immediately forced to grab a dragon-shaped projectile and smash it on the ground, halting him before he could get past us. The door closed and I released him.

He was a young Elder, even younger than Luna. My best guess, since he hadn't explained how he got here, was that the Guild spotted him too close to a city and went after him. I was curious, though. I had never seen one of his species, and we were lucky that he was grounded when we reached him. Chasing after a Valstrax would have been impossible.

Why did we have hope with this one? Well, the guy wasn't actually all that bad, mostly pissed he couldn't fly away, but we needed to make sure he wasn't a threat. Now we just needed him to talk. "[You do realize that the collar on your neck won't let you fly away, right?]"

Those things were designed to block the powers of the Elders, or at least dampen them so that they could be contained again if they managed to scape. In any case, the Elder got up and growled at us, his wings sputtering out. "[That won't stop me, you slowpoke!]"

"[Finally, he speaks!]" Sum giggled and I pointed at said device. "[And as things are now, speed won't save you. Why don't you calm down and we talk about setting you free?]"

His response? A charge forward trying to bite me. My answer? Backhanding him with my wingarm to the wall.

I sighed. And the week had started so well.

* * *

 **A.N.: the Rose-Xiao-Long family meets the Belladonnas and our dastardly duo have to deal with a surprisingly young hunter and Elder alike. My, my, things are happening. Also, the armor is the Kecha Wacha Z set, for those wondering.**

 **Now, as for the update schedule… I simply don't know. I can't write on the mornings and next week I have work** _ **and**_ **studies, which basically leaves me with no time to write. I will only have weekends from then on and I still have to study. I'll write as much as I can, because I love doing this, but don't expect the chapter per week schedule to sustain itself.**

 **Reviews!**

 **Janekge: indeed. All hail our lord and saviour: Obi-Wan 'I have the high ground' Kenobi!**

 **proiu: thanks! I hope you enjoy this one as well.**

 **RabidArmenian: ugh, don't remind me. And don't you mean hollow…** _ **knight**_ **. Eyyyyy! Okay, I'll go die in a hole now.**

 **Knightwolf1875: she's taking care of her village and making sure that Kirin doesn't try anything else,** _ **while**_ **helping Gore and the rest on Remnant. Honestly, I don't think she has the time to start teaching.**

 **98kazer: thanks for the try, but my friend spoiled me before anyone on this site. So yeah.**

 **Wizzer96: I won't spoil how the characters will turn out to be. You'll have to wait. And it's okay, I never expected my lore to be on point in that regard. As for the new Elder, hmmmm… And yes, Kulve would say that.**

 **JawsOnYou67: maybe later in the future, but again, too many characters and the story doesn't progress. Questions: no, and maybe. And Salem has contacted the Guild rather than the Elders.**

 **MH4life: oh, she's more than just a nervous wreck. You'll see what I mean when she finds herself in different situations. And why Ghira would bring his family is a bit twofold: as he says, he wants to show Blake that humans and Faunus can live together in peace and he doesn't fully trust the new armed section. And what better way to show her daughter the rest of Remnant than to go to the most 'Faunus friendly' kingdom in Remnant,** _ **while**_ **being escorted by a famous huntress that is known to treat Faunus fairly?**

 **Therealvahl: maybe in the future.**

 **Limbo: I mean, they can't let him out without keeping an eye on him. Sure, he does go out, but very few times and always under watch, even with the collar.**

 **Lord Anime: yeah, sorry. I try my best but I can make some mistakes. When I have time (ugh,** _ **if**_ **at this pace) I'll clean it up. And thanks for offering, but I won't have a schedule in the future and I don't know how the 'beta' thing works just yet.**

 **Again, sorry I'm late. Real life hates me. Next chapter as always and then I'll see from where I get some time to write.**

 **I hope you enjoyed!**

 **Have a great day!**


	34. Chapter 32: AlliesFriends

**A.N.: hello there! How ya'll doin? So, as I said before, next week I will start my classes. That doesn't mean I'll stop writing, just that the updates will become slower and erratic, since I don't know when I will have time to write.**

 **But I will continue writing, damn it!**

 **Anyways, enjoy!**

 **Edit: I woke up today and found out this chapter hadn't published. Let's hope this it works.**

 **Black Dragon, White Rose**

 **Chapter 32**

 **Allies/Friends**

 **/ Gore P.O.V. /**

So, the Valstrax were just as stubborn as expected. At least, the one in the room with us was.

' _Fwoooo-!' 'Thud!'_ "[Agh!]"

*sigh* _'How many does that make?'_

Summer tapped her chin. "I think 5. Does the one he did when we entered count?"

I decided to not answer that and kept my eyes on the other Elder in the room. He got up, panting heavily and with his wings sputtering briefly. The collar needed a bit of work, but it would do for now. "[Are you done?]"

He growled and began charging his wings and I prepared to counter _again_. Only for his wings to fail mid-charge and making him trip and fall. And with how exhausted he was, I was surprised he had energy to even stand. "You are going to hurt yourself." Summer walked forwards, closer to him. "Please, we just want to talk."

The Valstrax glared at her and raised his wing, the long spikes now aimed at Sum. "[Go to hell, human!]"

His attack was slow and sloppy, and spoke about the lack of experience he had. Instead of impaling Sum, she blinked and repapered on the top of his wing with a smile, hanging on as the Elder looked in surprise. "Pretty please?"

And so began the humiliating performance of a highly dangerous creature trying to dislodge a small human from his body. And losing to said human in spectacular fashion.

Damn. Is it too late to ask for some food to accompany this?

After five minutes of jumping, flaring up his wings and smashing against every wall possible (yes, even the ceiling), the Valstrax ran out of energy and tripped, slumping down and failing to get up.

Sum blinked atop of his head and whipped her hair back. She crossed her legs and smiled down at the furious and exhausted Elder. "That was fun. Are you ready to talk now?"

"[I don't think he's got another option.]" I said, stepping closer. "[He isn't getting out, and is either that or we leave him here for another week. I'm sure Gaster would _love_ to run some experiments.]"

In reality, the doctor may get carried away, but he always treats the Elders and Inferiors here with care and respect. The experiments are non-harmful, and those that are, need to go through Ozpin and Daur first. We may not want to kill the Elders that come here, but some of them can't be let out, and being an asshole will only make your life worse in this place.

We do not torture anyone in here, but not every creature deserved a good treatment.

Summer hopped down, and the Valstrax took the opportunity to try and eat her. Only for Summer to step back and close his mouth back down. She wasn't stronger than him, but with Aura and his lack of energy, it wasn't hard for her to keep it that way. "C'mon, we are trying to be nice here!"

I stepped up and planted my foot on his mouth, keeping it closed and letting Summer move back. "[You want to get out? Then we are your only way, unless you want to be turned into parts and be used for tests.]" False, but sometimes you needed a bit of cruelty to get things done.

That made him stop struggling and I lifted my claw. I let Sum continue from there. "Listen, I know you don't like this, but we can help you." She sat in front of him and he huffed, making her hair and cape billow backwards. "We are trying to recruit Elders to help us defend Remnant from threats from your world. I know, I know," she raised a hand, stopping him from talking, "why would you help the ones that put you here?"

The dragon nodded, his glare intensifying. "[Because we can help each other.]" I intervened. "[You want to be out, right? Fly free through the sky and find a place where to settle. We can give you both, and in exchange, you would help us deal with threats that endanger the people in this world.]"

His head turned lazily to me. "[And I'm supposed to believe a human and a fat, old Elder?]"

Old? That's the first time I've been called that. I mean, compared to him, I _am_ old, but in Elder terms, I'm relatively young. And if old means being like Daur, then I'm fine with it. Just… spare me the training sessions.

Sum looked at me and I shrugged. "Well, in that case…" She got up and we both turned to walk to the door.

"[W-wait!]"

We both turned and watched as he struggled to get up. I shook my head and walked to his side, reaching with my wingarm and keeping him steady. His glared returned with a vengeance. "[Get off. I don't need-.]"

"[Yeah, yeah. You don't need the help of a weakling and bla, bla, bla.]" I moved my face closer and growled lightly making him move back. "[We already have one of those, so that shit won't work with me. Got it?]" He nodded quickly with wide eyes.

Summer giggled, grabbing our attention. "He either becomes BFF with Luna or they'll be at each others throat all day. Now, how about we calm down and have a talk?"

Ancients, I do not want _another_ proud Elder in the same house as me. Let's hope he isn't as bad as he acts.

* * *

I dodged to the side and brought my weapon down to where my opponent had been a second ago. She dodged, and I was forced to roll aside. I didn't managed to evade the next attack, but I did block it. Pushing her weapon aside, I countered. She was faster, though, and moved out of the way. But she couldn't dodge the spiked pommel that slammed into her stomach.

She back-flipped and dashed to the side, jumping up and trying to stab down on my head. I reached with my left arm and tried to grab her weapon. She realized her mistake too late and I threw her over my head, slamming her to the ground.

Only for her and her image to shatter like glass. Her Semblance was _so annoying._

Luckily, it was nothing my feelers couldn't counter. She reappeared behind me, only to be forced to block a kick aimed for her chest. She slid back through the ground a few meters before stopping. I wasted no time and turned, aiming my weapon and firing. She dodged away, my shots missing and becoming lost in the forest behind her.

I wonder how many trees I have downed like this.

With my focus still on Neo, I changed into sword mode and rushed her. She moved away from a slam that covered the area in dirt. She took the chance and planted a hand on my weapon, flipping over it and kicking my head with both her legs before landing on the other side and aiming to stab me again.

I ducked and twisted, bringing my weapon in a wide arc, only for her to shatter again when I hit her. Knowing where she was going to jump at me, I raised my wingarms and slammed them down on the ground, creating a shockwave and sending Neo back, giving me time to reload before she charged back at me.

I brought my weapon around, aiming for her body, but she ducked and stabbed me right at my chin.

Only for her weapon to bounce back with a few sparks, my Aura barely feeling the hit.

I rubbed the spot where she had hit, and she pouted at me. "Hey, it's not my fault that my scales are resistant." I collapsed my weapon. "But you are right. This training would be much better if I could hit you or you could actually do something to me."

For someone with a lack of voice, Neo was very good expressing herself, with link or without it. I was snapped out of my thoughts when Ruby slammed onto Neo's side with a hug. "But that was so cool! You were like _'wacha!, 'shuing!'_ and Gore was like _'fwoom!', 'boom!'_ "

"Heh. You don't need to do a _draconic_ effort to impress Rubes, am I right?"

Ruby groaned as Neo and I let out a small laugh. "Yaaaaaang! Don't ruin the moment with your awful puns!"

I smiled. "She's right, Yang." I said, making all heads turn to me. "Else we might have to _pun_ ishyou."

Cue Ruby groaning again and Neo giving me a thumbs up. "Eyyy! That's our Gore!"

Ruby dislodged herself from her sister and moved in front of me. "Cuddle dragon, now."

At another time, I would have been angry at being called that. Oh, don't get me wrong, I still don't like it and it feels humiliating, but I had grown used to it. You don't get to live with this family for two years and not have to be the 'cuddle dragon'. Even if laying down with them was actually really nice, the name irked me to no end.

And they knew it. Oh, how they knew it.

With a sigh, I looked at the three if them. "There's no way out of it for me, right?"

The three sisters looked between themselves, then back at me. "Nope."

I let out a mock groan and stepped away from them, to the center of the clearing. In a couple of seconds, and with a flash of bright light, I was back in my natural form. I laid down and waited, as the three girls settled down on my stomach and huddled together. It was a rather cute picture. Ruby pulled out a book and smiled to her sisters. "I have new drawings for our weapons. Do you want to see them? Pleaseeeeee?"

Her sisters nodded and I positioned myself to have a look at it. It was a bit difficult with how they were seated, but I managed. And so began the explanation of how Ruby wanted to create a rocket launcher for Yang, or how she wanted to make a greatsword that exploded for Neo. And while the ideas were childish, the designs weren't. Sure, they were still the drawings of a 7 year old, but I didn't need to be an expert to tell that she was amazingly talented at this.

It wasn't long until something happened, that something being Luna and my sister returning from Patch. And what were they doing on Patch, you may wonder?

Shopping.

Yes, because ever since we were officially admitted as Vale's citizens, we were being paid for working for S.A.C.R.E.D. And Sum had the great idea to show them the wonders of what she called shopping.

I swear we will not have enough space in our house at his pace. _'Stop buying so many clothes you are not going to wear!'_

' _Only when you stop buying books and comics, brother.'_ Retorted my sister through our link.

What? Ever since I can see, I had taken a liking to reading. And comics had drawings _and_ text. What's not to like?! _'At least I put them to good use, and don't just leave them there to gather dust.'_

' _Oh, shut up.'_ Luna sent me a glare as she spoke through the link. _'Clothes and fashion are one of the very few things humans do right. Even if it comes from humans, we might as well enjoy it.'_

Our conversation stopped as they reached us, with the girls noticing them and calling them over. "Hi, Mags! Hi, Luna!"

As Ruby greeted them, Yang waved at them, but Neo only sent a smirk to my sister, which set off all kinds of alarms in my head. When these two got together, nothing good came out of it. Like, seriously, don't leave these two alone in a room. They will be silent for the first ten minutes, then they will hatch a plan to _somehow_ trap you in, get themselves out and leave you inside, locked, with a paint bomb in the middle of the room. Even if there was no paint!

I had to spend the entire day getting paint off my scales. Those two, I swear…

"So, how did your shopping trip go?" Asked Yang.

The two girls raised their bags, both of them with smiles. "Pretty well, actually. Want to come and see?"

"Sure!" Yang turned to Ruby, just as Neo got up and looked inside the bags of my sister. "Wanna come, Rubes?"

The small bean shook her head. "Nope. Gore and I are going to stay here, right?" She turned her head to me, hopeful eyes staring right at my face.

I couldn't care less about the clothes that those two wanted to try on, and knowing little Ruby just wanted someone to speak with about her weapons, I nodded. Her smile doubled and she skipped closer to my head. "[We'll be fine. Go have fun.]"

"Really now? Are you really going to miss the opportunity of watching me being prettier than I usually am? You really have no taste." Asked Luna. "But, if you beg, we might let you come with us…"

I hummed. "[So I can either stay here and spend some time with Ruby, or go with you and watch you complain about how you've gotten fatter- Whoops, I mean, how _the sizes are all wrong_ and things like that.]" I could hear the snickers of the rest and Luna growling in anger. "[Pardon me, little princess, but I think I will be staying here.]"

"You annoying piece of…" She finally humped and looked away. "Fine. Your loss." And with that, she walked into our house.

And I was left with the two girls plus my sister looking at me with raised eyebrows, while Ruby looked through her book with her tongue sticking out, trying to organize some papers. My attention shifted to the group and I twisted my head to the side. "[What? Too much?]"

My sister shook her head. "It's not that, brother." She then muttered something about me being 'dense', to which the other two girls nodded. "Well, we'll be inside if you need us."

I watched them walk away, lost in thought. The thing is, I _do_ notice what Luna is trying to do. I'm not stupid. When you have a girl that close, you really have to be the densest guy in both worlds to not notice when she shows interest in you.

Somewhere in Remnant, a 9 year old Arc sneezed.

But I wasn't sure if she was just trying to get my attention or if she really liked me. It's difficult with Luna. And I myself wasn't sure I felt the same way. All of that setting aside the difference between species, but that's another matter entirely. For now, I'll keep to the usual routine. There are enough problems with the Guild and the Elders as it is.

That didn't mean I wasn't open to that, but not now.

"Are you listening?" A pouting Ruby caught my attention and I realized I had lost myself in thought.

"[Sorry, I was thinking to myself.]" I looked down at her notebook. "[What did you want to show me?]"

And so began the rant of the small weapon's nut, and how adding a turret on my back would help us on our missions. She always gets really enthusiastic about this, and I find myself enjoying the time we spend like this, especially since I started to understand many of the terms and weapons she was talking about. The technology on Remnant sure was advanced.

It was also a good way to learn a bit. When Sum helped me with my weapon, she ran me through the basics, but barely anything else. And while she has helped a lot in helping me maintain my weapon, it was impossible not to learn how weapons in this world worked while being around Ruby.

After a while, she began to fall asleep. It wasn't particularly late, but I guess she simply was tired. And since she decided I would be her pillow, I was forced to lay there with her. A few minutes passed and I could see Summer walk out of their house in search of her daughters. She stepped in front of me and smiled upon seeing Ruby. "I was coming out to tell you that lunch's ready. Where's the rest?"

I pointed to our house. "[My sister and Luna returned from shopping and the other two decided to accompany them.]" I laid my head closer to Summer and she reached to pet my head. Laugh all you want, it still felt nice! "[I seriously can't understand why you girls like clothes so much.]"

She moved her hand closer to one of my feelers while answering. "Everyone has their reasons. I don't do it as much as others, but it feels good to have a change of looks every once in a while. And to look pretty."

After a few more seconds, I pulled back and gestured to the child using me as her personal pillow. "[Wake her up and I'll go get the rest.]"

She nodded and proceeded to wake her daughter with a warm smile. That Ruby not only woke up but did so with energy, showed the experience Summer had with her. That, or being told that she could have strawberries as dessert if she went to help her father at setting the table. That girl really has a sweet tooth.

Taking my chance, I stood up and stretched as far as I could. I transformed back into my human form, while Sum covered her eyes from the light. "I'll go in for the girls. Do you need anything?"

"Nope. Just don't take too long or the food will get cold." She walked back to the house and I turned around back to our own.

As I walked, my thoughts drifted towards those that weren't here. Mid and Icharias should be returning soon enough, seeing as how the last time they were here, they told us their village was setting in just fine. Daros was somewhere with bird-man. Those two had gotten along better than I expected, and had since then decided to work as a team. Though I could definitely see them working together.

Meanwhile, Daur was in Beacon with Ozpin. Those two dealt with the Council and managed everything for us, so it was no surprise to see them together. Having to keep an entire world a secret is not an easy task, especially since that same world seemed hell-bent on making things hard for us. I just hope they could deal with it without too much trouble.

They seem to be doing a good job for now, so I think they will be fine.

* * *

 **/ Daur P.O.V. /**

With a heavy sigh, I let the papers down on the table and rubbed the bridge of my nose. I could hear my tail scrapping over the floor, but I didn't care right now. During these two years I have been working with Ozpin, I had found that he was someone I could call a friend. Not only that, but I knew he was as invested in keeping everyone safe as I. Honestly, when I was sent away from my world, I never thought I would find myself more comfortable here than back there.

But not all was sunshine and rainbows. There were dangers looming in the horizon, threats that no normal human or Elder could comprehend. But there was one that rose above others. It was powerful and lethal, and left no room to scape it, forcing those that faced it to fight it with all their might, else they find themselves defeated. Truly, a monster like no other.

Paperwork.

Especially the one about a hunter attacking a Faunus rally.

Jest aside, while nobody was hurt, the implications of what had transpired spoke of a much darker threat. Not only had the guild been able to send another hunter here, but it had come specifically for my apprentice and Summer. Why else would a human from another world attack a rally of peaceful people?

However, the most worrisome part was not the 'what' but the 'how'. How did the hunter know who to attack? Or where they would be? In fact, how did he reach them at all? Not only was Patch an island, only accessible by boat or airship, but usually, hunters and Elders sent here appeared in the middle of uninhabited territory. And while hunters were resilient and clever, I doubt one of them could travel to Patch from wherever he appeared.

He had no maps and I doubted he knew how to use his Silver Eyes against the Grimm. The only real chance for him to actually attack them would be to appear _on Patch itself_ , but that also left the question on how did he know Summer and Gore would be there and not on some mission or in Vale.

I let out another sigh. "This does not make any sense."

"Perhaps a cup of hot cocoa will help you clear your mind." I was so absorbed in my thoughts that I had failed to notice Ozpin entering my office. He handed me the mug with a small smile. "Through the years I have learnt that it is better to take a rest every once in a while, if only to let our minds recover."

I nodded my thanks and drank. Wiping the stain on my face, I spoke. "Believe me, I know." I looked back down at the papers. "But this just doesn't make any sense, and it makes me wonder how this event even came to pass."

He reached for one of the files and gave it a look. "Indeed, it is a strange occurrence. But what really worries me it's what comes next." His eyes focused on mine. "If they knew where to attack now…"

"Then they probably know where to strike next." While it was possible that this was just one _extremely lucky_ (or unlucky) incident, it was almost impossible that this was just fate or something similar. "Should we take precautions?"

The man in front of me hummed. "I think our friends can handle themselves for now. But we should be ready for something similar." He let the folder back down. "Do you have any idea on why the hunter would be after them and not you or Daros?"

As I rubbed my chin in thought, I came to one single conclusion. "Kirin." I did not bother to hide the disgust in my voice. "He probably wants to finish what he started by killing Gore, and killing two birds with one stone by getting revenge on Summer. But that still doesn't explain how he knew when and where to send his hunter."

"Indeed." We fell into silence as we pondered on the unanswered questions. I sipped on my cup. It couldn't have been another hunter or an Elder. Of the first group, there weren't any that knew were even Patch was, and from the second, none of the released Elders would ever work with the Guild. And even if they would, they still didn't have the information to help them. None of the two groups could have known about the rally, so that left the Guild and any Elder out of the question.

Treason, perhaps? No. Midnight has no reason to help her old teacher and Icharias has his heart and mind in the right place. And it is highly unlikely Luna or Mags would betray us. Impossible, I dare say. Maybe from the base? But for what reason? The Guild couldn't offer them anything they could want, and even then, they don't have a way to communicate between worlds.

"Hmm." I tried changing the perspective. "Apart from the Guild and Kirin, who else would like to see my apprentice and his partner dead?"

Ozpin regarded my words for a second before his eyes widened. "No, it couldn't be…"

"Ozpin?"

He raised a hand and I remained silent as he thought. "Would it be possible for a hunter to have appeared somewhere outside our reach?" He asked, while getting up and picking a map of Remnant that I had on one of my walls. I had put it there as a reference until I grew accustomed to this world. "Somewhere like here?" He pointed at the only continent on Remnant not touched my man: the Badlands.

Where the Grimm were so many that it was impossible to create anything. And where the oldest enemy of humanity resided.

And suddenly, all clicked into place. And I never thought it would be this bad.

* * *

 **/ Guild master P.O.V. /**

I walked through the laboratory with my escort in tow. And everywhere I passed, the scientists looked away or stilled, fear reigning over their features. Good, I needed them to fear me, so that the idea of betraying me wouldn't even cross their heads. People stepped out of my way, as I moved towards the center of the room, where the main table was located.

And so, I stopped myself behind the lead scientists, too immersed in his work to notice me. "I hope your new formula is as good as you promised me, professor." The man stilled and turned around in a quick motion, clenching his papers tighter, as if they would give him a sense of security. "For your own good."

He nodded quickly, making haste to answer me. "Y-yes, sir! W-with the help of our new a-ally, we have been able to s-stabilize the mixture. It shouldn't h-have any harmful effects towards humans now!"

I hummed and stepped towards the table, making him move away as I reached for one of the vials. The liquid inside moved as I gave it a good look, searching for any imperfections that it may had. To my pleasure, I found none. "Good job, professor. You have given me the last tool I needed to finally rid this world of those pathetic beast and allow me to conquer it once and for all." I deposited the vial back into place. "Your name will be remembered by historians. Our children will remember you as the man that gave humanity the weapon for their final victory." I could feel the fear coming from the man, even after the good news. Poor fool. "Tell me, professor, how long until you can mass produce it?"

The man gulped. "W-while it is true that we have all the m-materials, this isn't like some regular p-potion that anyone can-."

I prided myself in being a patient man. I was patient when I was under the orders of the old Guild master. I was patient until the chance to get rid of that senile fool presented itself. I was patient enough for the new formula to develop. But I have my limits. "How. Long."

By this point, the professor was basically hiding behind his papers. "A-a couple of weeks, at least!"

My eyes glared at him from under my hood. "Make it one, professor."

With that, I made my way out of the lab, sending small glances at those that looked at me. Fear was a weapon like any other, but one needed to be careful on applying it. Too little and people will ignore you or laugh at you, too much and you risk being betrayed at the slightest glint of hope the ones beneath you see.

As I headed towards my private office, one of the hunters under my command stopped us. "My lord, the witch wishes to speak to you."

Interesting. My hunter should have already completed his mission. "Very well. I was heading to my office anyway."

And the biggest fear a human can have is fear of the unknown. The Guild became afraid when a new Elder Dragon showed its ugly face, but after the hunters discover their weakness, it becomes one more hunt in the list. But it worked with more than just monsters. Very few people knew what I looked like, and they were on a need to know basis. The rest would look at the guy beside them and wonder if he was me, making sure that none of them could conspire against me.

And if they did, I had my personal hunters anyway.

I ordered my escort to wait outside as I entered my office, and to call the handler and Kirin. The poor girl had been under my service for two years and she was still scared to the bone, but she did her job, and that is all I cared about.

When the door closed behind me, the faint sound of clicking that preceded the Seer reached my ears. I paid the creature no attention as I headed for the chair at my desk and sat on it. The creature moved in front of me and the voice from its queen came through it. "Your hunter failed its mission."

I didn't even bother looking up from the stack of papers in my desk. If there's one thing that never changes, whether you have power or not, is paperwork. "How so?"

"He failed to kill Summer Rose or her companion, and was captured almost immediately." She said, and I raised my head to face her.

"While Kirin may have hoped to harm or kill those two, that they are alive is inconsequential." I signed one of the papers for a hunt and passed it over to the next. "His objective never was to kill them, just to test their power and the last batch of the serum. Even if the boy is captured, he will not talk. I made sure of it." I raised my head again. "He was just a scout for what it's to come."

"Be careful, Alexander, if we can exploit their overconfidence, so can they exploit yours." She warned. "Do not think yourself invincible. We both know you aren't."

I couldn't help but chuckle at that. "Maybe not now, but soon. When I rid my world of its pest problem, there will be no one to oppose me. And with the chaos the monsters will bring to your world, your plans will come to pass."

I didn't receive an answer right away, silence filling the room as I read and signed the papers on my table. "Do not fail me, Alexander. It would be a shame if our plans failed because you couldn't see beyond your pride." And with that, her image swirled and vanish, leaving me with the creature again, which retreated back to one corner of the room.

Fail? I had come too far to fail now. I would rather burn Gildegaran before that came to pass. I just needed more time, and then, everything will fall into place. Soon after, there was a knock on my door. "Come in."

It opened and the treacherous Elder walked first, his patch covering the hole where his right eye had once been. Following behind him, and making herself as small as possible, was the handler. Ever since he came back from the fight, Kirin has been wearing a grimace, and the handler was on edge around him. I couldn't blame her, though. "What do you want?"

I gestured to the two chairs at the other side of my desk, only to be interrupted by the clicking and chittering of the Grimm in the room. The small girl let out an _'eep!'_ that made me chuckle. "Fear not. It is completely under my control. It will not harm you."

Even if she had already seen it before, she was still scared. They both moved to seat in front of me and I began explaining. "I have spoken with our help on the other world. The plan was a success. I'm sure we will have news on that front soon enough."

"And the girl?" Kirin basically growled. "Has she been dealt with?"

I turned my head to him. "No, she is still alive." Before his anger could be made present, I stopped him. "Your personal vendetta was not part of the mission, and I recall telling you as such. The boy was not send there to kill them, but to get himself captured."

He let out a huff and his scowl deepened, but nothing more. I turned my attention to the handler. "Report. What is the state of the Guild and the hunters?"

She clutched her book closer and began speaking. "R-right. Well, it's- it's not very good, actually. The hunters that were stationed here b-before you became Guild master keep up hunting, but they don't want anything to do with the… the _new ones_. Tensions are high and the civilians are w-worried about the presence of so many hunters in the city."

While that could be worrying in the long run, I would make sure it doesn't last. "Has there been any actual confrontation since the last time?"

She shook her head, her hair waving around. "N-no, sir. Apart from the usual ruckus at the taverns, everything is more or less the same."

I hummed and thought. While the tensions might be problematic, the hunters won't act against me unless I myself act directly against them. They can't get their new shinny weapon or armor without the quests from us, and without handlers on the towns, their only way to go on an officially sanctioned mission is through me.

And while having the populace in a discontent state can cause trouble, as long as I have my Silver Hunters, they won't be needing a reminder of who rules this city. They can bring all of their boats and caravans, they can sell whatever they want and they can put up quest for the hunters, but I am the maximum authority in this place. They better remember that.

"I see. Anything else worth mentioning?"

The girl shook her head once more and handed me a small stack of papers. Ugh, it never ends, does it? "No, s-sir. E-everything else is in the report."

I nodded and waved a hand to dismiss her. She nodded and left the room in a haste. How cute, thinking that by putting distance between me and her she is safer. Well, as long as she follows orders, we will have no problem. I turned to Kirin, who to my surprise, kept staring at me. "Is there anyt- urk!"

He clutched his hand on my neck and spoke. "I don't care about what you have panned for humanity in this world. I betrayed my friends because I saw what none of them wanted to see, but now…" He grumbled something I couldn't hear while I struggled. "I want that woman, Summer Rose, _dead_. And if I have to do it by my hand, so be it."

He dropped me down on my chair and began to walk away. Infuriating piece of shit! "R-remember your place, Kirin. And remember that the hunters around here answer to me." I rose from behind my table as he stopped. "And you can turn into their prey if I order them to."

He continued walking and left the room. I sat back down with a sigh and looked outside of my window. The sight of the ocean and the docked ships from all the cities around the world calmed my nerves, if only a bit. Though, for some reason, it also reminded me of the lost village of two years back. I wonder where they are hiding? No matter, I would find them and kill the Nargacuga and that traitor of a hunter.

Soon, everything would be mine, and with the monsters that have plagued this world since the age of the Ancients and before gone, there would be no opposition for me and my hunters to reach to the ends and beyond.

Just a few more stones on my way to take care of, and then, the world.

* * *

 **A.N.: Gore and Summer have flashbacks of Luna with the new Elder, while Daur and Oz figure out things may have gotten far worse than expected. And the Guild master moves closer to his final goal. Also, little bean Ruby teaches Gore about weapons, because explosions!**

 **Oh, and everyone faces paperwork, because it sucks!**

 **Now, of Gore and Luna. I still haven't decided on what to do yet, and since the RWBY fandom can be a bit…** _ **excitable**_ **over shipping, I'm going to leave it just as small teasing for now. I'm not good at romance and I rather not do it for now. End of discussion.**

 **Now, reviews!**

 **Rodenmar: okay, I can see where you are coming from. And it's alright. If you don't like the story, fine with me. I will admit that my writing is not the best, and I am trying to improve. And thanks for not being a bitch about it. Some people here can't be bothered with manners.**

 **knightofthewintermoon(x2): at least her scythe and his eye seem to have gotten close! And maybe in the future.**

 **Janekge: fear the entitled parent KAREN! And yes, the prequel meme power is strong with Gore. Thanks, I will!**

 **98kazer: *passes by while flying* yeah boiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii…..!**

 **Hollydoor: glad you feel happy. Since I don't receive excessive reviews, the least thing I can do is answer them.**

 **darkvampirekisses: you shall see soon enough.**

 **RabidArmenian: then I'll dig straight down and- oh shit lava!  
Honestly, I feel like Gore and Sum would make a fun duo, with him as Sith and her as Jedi, but friends nonetheless. It would blow up the minds of the Jedi council on how the fuck they get along.  
Many things will be happening, I assure you.  
Thanks, and I will!**

 **JawsOnYou67: I don't think I will add any other Inferiors with sentience for now. And Grimm hate everything with a soul, so Inferiors count too.**

 **Knightwolf1875: the more help they can get, the better. And don't worry, they will show up. I wanted to add their part on this chapter but it turned out too long.**

 **proiu: you bet ya ass he will!**

 **HBgamer111: only a bit… okay, couldn't stop reading for hours between that and r/prequelmemes.**

 **Guest: we'll see more of him when he gets to be out. Fast as fuc, boiiiiii!**

 **Ant: maybe, but it would take a lot of twists and turns for my lore and the canon lore to fit, so don't get your hopes up.**

 **gold crown dragon: I'm guessing most of those monsters are from Frontier and such, right? I'll give them a look, but I'm not sure I will get any of those in this story. Too many characters and the story won't progress.**

 **EndlessNameless: while it's true his Virus is not on the level of Fatalis, it is still extremely lethal for monsters and now Auras. But he knows about Fatalis, not about Ishvalda, though.**

 **Omnisaurus: most of the themes are great in the games. And the cells were made for Grimm at first. While they have been readapted to fit Elders, they are still completely empty. Why would you make a cell with resembling the outside when the Grimm you are going to put in will die after a while and doesn't need to be acclimated to being captured? As for Elders, they call someone from the group to watch them if they need to be outside for a while.**

 **I hope you enjoyed!**

 **Have a great day!**


	35. Chapter 33: Stand together

**A.N.: I LIIIIIIVEEEEEEEE! It took** _ **far**_ **too long to make this chapter. But between IRL problems and my own exhaustion, this chapter did not want to come out. But here we are. Now, since there are** _ **so many reviews**_ **, I'll answer them in a separate mini-chapter which will include an omake. I will be posting it right after this one, so don't worry.**

 **Next chapter should be sooner. I'll put more time behind writing.**

 **Here we go!**

* * *

 **Black Dragon, White Rose**

 **Chapter 33**

 **Stand together**

 **/ Midnight P.O.V. /**

"It's so good to see you, guys!" The moment Icharias and I stepped into the yard, our friends greeted us with a warm welcome. Hugs included.

I went one by one, all of us with a smile on our faces. "It's good to see you too." Said Gore. "We still need to untie our score, and I don't plan on loosing."

I broke from the hug and gave him a smug smile. "Neither do I. But I rather wait for a couple of days. I'm so tired that I feel like I could sleep an entire week."

He let out a chuckle. "Sure."

After that, we all went inside the mansion (no matter what Ozpin says, this thing is _not_ just a 'small house') and readied for dinner. Honestly, I was surprised when Sum told me that Neo had been learning to cook alongside her. For all the chaos she liked to cause, she was always there when anyone from the family needed her. Whether it be helping Ruby with homework, Tai with cleaning the house or training with Yang.

If you asked me, I think she is doing it as a way to pay them back for taking her in. I don't think Sum or Tai needed her to do anything like this, but as long as she knows she doesn't _need_ to do them to stay here, it's fine.

While we waited, Gore and Mags filled us in on what we had missed since our last stay. It had been more than a month since then, but we had finally managed to settle our village completely. Even those that now had Silver Eyes had started recovering… at least, those that survived. It… it was a hard hit to take when we learnt that some of them were dying because of what the Guild had done to them.

I don't think we ever held so many funerals in the village at once.

But that aside, things went well. The other village was more than glad to help us. It seems that we weren't the only ones that didn't like the Guild. And with four professional hunters in there, we were a bit calmer. "Wait, wait, wait. Go back a bit. A Valstrax?"

Gore nodded. "He is younger than Luna, but with a bit more neurons than her." A bag of chips flew almost at supersonic speed at him, only for him to catch it before it could hit him. Though most of its contents were already on the floor. "You are going to have to clean that later." He picked a chip, ignoring the smoldering glare sent at him. "He has agreed to side with us in exchange for freedom." He ate the chip and picked another. "More than can be said from the ones out of containment."

I shook my head. "That's good and all, but I didn't cut you off because of that." A snicker escaped my lips. "You don't know how some people call them?" He turned his head to the side, answering my question. I inched closer, making the people around the table move closer as well. "… _Barufaruku_."

There was an intense silence for a second as I held my own laughter. The first to explode in laughter was Mags, followed by his brother and then the rest of the table. Daur simply held his smile, although barely. "Ah, yes, I remember now."

The two resident plague dragons were holding to each other. "P-please, t-tell me you are j-joking…" I shook my head with a smile, which only made the siblings laugh even more. They managed to calm down a few seconds later. "O-oh, that's just _gold_."

"Indeed, brother." Mags cleared her tears of laughter. "Humans and their names."

The dinner room calmed down afterwards, especially when they explained what had happened during the Faunus rally. "Actually," Daur brought the attention of the table to himself, "Ozpin and I may have a theory on how that came to pass. A theory that I wish with every scale of my being that isn't true." Someone muttered something about that being 'a lot of scales', but they were shushed soon after. "In order to reach the rally, and to even know where it was occurring, the hunter needed help from someone from this world. Or at least, someone that knew who you and Summer were." He pointed at Gore.

Gore stood up quickly. "You think someone has-?"

"Betrayed us? No. Everyone in here is loyal and a good friend, and the staff at Vanguard Base are… well, I still don't like the idea of all those people knowing, but I trust Ozpin, and he assures me that those people are not going to betray us." His eyes thinned and he came close to turning his face into a scowl. "No, the problem might be bigger than that."

"Bigger than what?" We all turned to see Summer standing there with an enormous plate of what I could only call the best cooked meat I had seen in a _long_ time. I could see all of the Elders in the room salivating, even me. That's the thing about showing meat to carnivore dragons. Neo's head popped from behind her, followed by a plate of the same, turning all of our eyes into stars.

Daur managed to remain composed, though. "We can talk about that later." He raised again as Summer and Neo settled the plates on the table. "For now, we celebrate the return of our friends and the progress we have managed to make during these two years." He raised his cup of wine, making the rest do the same with our drinks. "For this… strange but great family we are, and the future."

"For the future!"

We all took a sip and I glanced around with a smile. He was right that, even if we weren't related by blood, we were all a big family. And while we were all very different, I didn't care, nor anyone else. We had gone through many things together, and I had the feeling we weren't done yet. Not even close.

"Well, I think that's enough sentimentalism." Boomed Daros. His hand inched closer to the stack of glorious meat. "I think it's time for us to-."

He was cut off as his hand was slapped away by Summer, a spatula being her weapon. "No, you don't. We are going to wait until Tai and the girls arrive." Her spatula swung around, ending up on me, and I raised my arms out of instinct. I knew how terrifying Summer could be when she wanted. "Is that clear?"

There was a chorus of 'yes, ma'am' and 'yes, Sum', with even Daur sitting down with a small saddened look. The silence was broken by another slap and the sound of shattering glass. We all turned to Summer, with Neo at her side rubbing her hand. "You are good, sweetie, but I'm still better. Now, sit and wait for your father and sisters."

Thank the Ancients they didn't took long. The only one unfazed by all of this was Icharias, simply because he wasn't as much of a meat eater as the rest of us. Even Mabel and Alma looked dejected at not being able to eat. He only took his helmet off after the remaining three arrived, but I could tell he had been smiling at our suffering behind that armor of his.

After a few more greetings, and with all of us in the table now, we began the dinner proper. Having so many people smiling and laughing around you like this sent a warm feeling through my entire body. With but a look I could tell Icharias was feeling the same. He turned and gave me a smile, and I nodded back. After all of what had happened to our village, having something like this reminded us that we weren't alone and that there were reasons to be happy.

And the food was amazing! Completely worth the wait. It wasn't difficult to tell that everyone thought the same, even Zwei, who was moving underneath the table trying to get anything that fell down, or hoping that someone would give him something directly. I was guilty myself of passing him a couple of bones when he passed by, though it was clear that he took preference with Icharias, since he actually gave him meat, and not just the bones of what remained after the massacre each dragon committed.

After finishing dinner, we waited for the girls to go to sleep to talk about what Daur wanted. "Now that Taiyang is with your daughters, we may speak. Ozpin and I have reached the conclusion that the only way for the hunter that attacked you to know where and when to be was for him to have gotten the information from someone of this world." He let out a sigh. "And I'm afraid that someone may be no other than Salem."

The silence that took over the room was deafening. I hadn't been told much about this Salem, only that she controlled the Grimm and that she was hell-bent on the destruction of humanity. But even if I didn't know as much as the rest, I could understand the problems this brought.

"Are you sure about this?" Summer's tone showed how worried she was about the idea. "I mean, I get that the Guild back in your world has done terrible things, but why would they even think of aligning with the likes of her?"

To that, Daur had no answer. "We do not know. Maybe they've find a way to benefit from all that has been happening, but we have no idea." He raised his hands. "But again, this is just a theory. The most probable one, I'm afraid, but until proven otherwise, just a theory."

Even with those words, I could feel how all of us joined the dots of the puzzle. I wouldn't put past the Guild Master to join forces with someone like Salem if it meant that he got something out of it. What, I didn't know, but if they were together in this, then he was benefitting somehow.

To almost everyone's surprise, it was Luan that spoke. "Okay, sure, evil guy is eviler than we thought and now has help. Big whoop." Everyone deadpanned at her. "Fine, it _is_ a big problem, but are we going to sit here and do nothing or are we actually going to show them that we can still kick their asses so hard we will leave a mark for the rest of their _very short_ lives?"

"She's right." Added Gore, nodding at her. "If we don't do anything, we will let them get away with what they want. We've been waiting for them to make their moves and reacting. Well, I say it's time to go on the offensive."

"While it is true that you can't win a fight if you only react to your enemy's moves, we do not have many options." Said Icharias, keeping a calm tone as always. "What do you have in mind? Go to Gildegaran and storm the Guild?"

I could tell he was saying this as a joke. Gildegaran was packed with hunters right now, and while most of them didn't like what the Guild had been doing these past 2 years, they were still hunters. Not to count the city's own defenses and the resources the Guild had pooled in there.

Still, Gore looked at Luna.

Then, the two looked to his sister while the two Keepers looked at each other.

Finally, they all looked between them, as if passing silent messages.

It was only when they all turned to Icharias with bloodthirsty grins that I could tell what they were thinking. Even Icharias calmness was broken for a moment. "Wait, don't tell me you're actually planning to…?"

"While this idea may seem foolish at first glance, answer this for me, Icharias." Daur called to my friend. "What other option do we have? We could try to face Salem, but if she's been here for so many years, then I don't think we can kill her without more information on her. And while the Guild is indeed powerful, it is as well at its most unstable time. Hunters are unhappy, unsure of what the Guild Master's plans are, and he is obviously overconfident on what he does. If there is a thing that all hunters share in common, apart for their love for loot, is that you can't hope to contain them as he is doing."

"Aye, lad." Daros was holding what must've been his 10th bottle of beer by now. "For all the power that he holds, the Guild Master is still a human, and one without Aura at that. Dealing with the fucker would be as easy as getting close to him and, ya know…" He made a gesture with his finger going through his neck. "The only real problem would be the stuff in between us and him."

I managed to get a word in this madness. "Which is composed of hundreds, if not thousands of well trained and experienced hunters, not to count the ones with Silver Eyes that the Guild has been doing experiments with!" Seriously, when did this even became a real possibility?! "We can't hope to face all of that by ourselves! They are an army and we are only a handful!"

It almost seemed like my words had gotten some sense into them, until Daur spoke again. "Well, they may be thousands of hunters, but there are even more monsters. Who says we don't have an army ourselves?"

"The only problem would be the civilians in the city itself." Chimed Summer. C'mon, you're supposed to be the one with common sense, Sum! "Sending so many monsters at once will destroy the city, but it can be rebuilt. The lives that are lost can't be recovered, though."

"Okay, stop." We all turned to Icharias, as he rubbed the bridge of his nose. "Let's assume that you _somehow_ manage to evacuate one of, if not the biggest city in our world, leaving only the hunters inside. How in all the Ancients are you going to recruit enough Elders to mount an assault that will allow you to reach your target?"

Daros nodded. "The laddie has a point. We are powerful, but some Elders are brave or stupid enough to oppose us."

"Who says we need them all to be Elders?" Said Gore. "There are some Inferiors that are as dangerous as us, and to convince them, we only need them to draw them close to the city. I mean, it's not as if they had the brains for more than cannon fodder." He turned to me instantly. "Present one not included, of course."

I waved him, telling him that it was alright. "That… is actually a valid point, my apprentice. The Inferiors could cause chaos and distract the hunters while a small group of us, disguised as hunters, gets in and finishes the job."

Icharias sighed beside me, expressing how I felt as well. "So, we are actually doing this…"

* * *

 **/ Gore P.O.V. /**

The next hour was spent with us dishing out ideas between us, and refusing the ones we thought wouldn't work. Honestly, we didn't get anywhere. Summer had to go to make sure the girls were in bed, Icharias and Mid were tired and didn't stay long after that. Daur had to meet early tomorrow morning with Ozpin, and nobody wanted Daros to stay long enough to bring the heavy drinks, especially with Mabel around.

When the only ones left were my sister, Luna and I, Mags and I looked at each other. I sighed. "Just another problem to add to our list."

"It's alright, brother. We've always prevailed, and we will do the same now."

"Yes, yes. Could you two stop being so depressing and help me out with this?" We looked at Luna, and I remember that she had literally no idea on how to handle house chores, even after two years.

She did provide a lot of amusement when told to do one, though.

I got up and took the broom off her. "I can't understand how you haven't learnt to do this. It's been two years, Luna, for the Ancients' sake."

She harrumphed and crossed her arms. "Well, maybe it's because I'm not made for them."

I glared at her. "That is not a valid reason."

She smirked back. "It is for me, since you are doing it instead."

I looked at my hands and realized she was right.

I grumbled and kept sweeping. You win this time. The traitor of my sister giggled at my suffering as Luna sat beside her. "You have to give her some more credit, brother. Luna is wittier than you think."

I didn't dignify that with an answer as I finished what I was doing and threw it at the trash. I will say, though, that apart from the pointed occasion where we had some difficulty learning some human rules, we had managed to adapt to this world and how humans behave in it rather nicely.

However, we were still not humans, and it showed sometimes. Maybe a small quirk or being able to chug more alcohol than a normal human could without dying, but it showed. Not that we minded, seeing as how we spend most of our time with those that already knew who and what we actually were.

Sometimes, I wondered what my brother would have thought about this. Supposing he could actually not kill the humans around him. I'm sure he would have jumped at the idea of going straight for the Guild, although he would have done so without even a bare idea on how to do it. He was never much on tactics.

Or thinking in general.

Not that he was dumb, but he relied on brute force and strength to get what he wanted. He had always been like that since I knew him: Mags and him fought over who got to be the leader, while I utterly refused. At that time, I was the weakest of the three and I had enough brains to know that I couldn't beat any of the two. Even still, my brother liked to mess with us a bit too much for my liking.

But he always was there when we were in trouble. Of course, he would end up rubbing the lack of strength in our faces (mostly mine) or how he was stronger than us, though he always did it _after_ helping us. He wasn't the best by any means, but we cared for him nonetheless, just as he did for us.

And now our family had grown, and we had to take care of each other. Even if every time we managed to win a fight or defeat an enemy, a new problem knocked on our door. And they just keep getting bigger and bigger. I know she said we would be alright, but… will be really okay?

I needed to clear my head.

I left the broom on its spot and walked to the door, passing the two as they gave me weird looks. "I'm going out."

* * *

The good thing about Patch was that we basically could transform and fly anywhere we wanted as long as it wasn't close to the settlement. There were almost no paths that went deep into the island, simply because there was no reason too, and since the students from Signal used the forests as training grounds, most people let them be.

It was even easier at night, especially for me. Flying around, I discovered a few months back a spot near the cliffs at the other side of the island. It was completely free of humans and the few Grimm that came close were no trouble.

The spot was a part of the beach that surrounded most of the island. The sands were white and clean and the water was almost transparent. If I wanted a better view of the place, I could always fly to the cliff and watch from up there, but I found it calmer down here. And while sand could be a bit of an annoyance, it wasn't something a bath in the water couldn't get rid of.

But the best part were the stars at night. There were a _lot_ of them, and I always found myself mesmerized by them. The moon being broken just added to it, even if it always made me wonder what in the actual fuck happened to it.

Seriously, it's just a piece of rock in space. Why would you want to tear it apart like that?

With my thoughts lost and lying on the sand, I took a deep breath and relaxed. Before I could ponder more deeply, I sensed someone coming from the air. Great, either my sister or Luna had followed me. I didn't care about them knowing of this spot (I had brought the entire Rose-Xiao-Long family one day here, after all), but I really wanted to be alone for now.

The dragon landed a few meters away and transformed. With both of us in our human form, Luna approached me, while looking around the place. "So this is what you were hiding from us, huh? It would be a real shame if I started going around telling them about this place."

"Go ahead." I answered to her surprise. "I don't think the rest will care too much about it."

I hadn't risen from where I was lying, so she moved closer to my head and looked down at me. I twisted my neck upwards. "Well, and what if I-."

"Listen, I know we like to tease and mess with the other," I said with a sigh, "but right now, I am not in the mood. If you want to stay, fine, but I would like some silence."

With that, I ignored her and returned to looking to the stars. To my surprise this time, she did keep quiet, even as she sat beside me, with her arms holding her legs close to her chest. We spent some time in silence, though I do not know how long. It wasn't uncomfortable, just… quiet.

"I want to help you."

Those words made me look at her and sat up beside her. "What do you mean?"

She hugged her legs closer and I finally noticed that she was actually a bit distressed. "I know I can be a… a _bitch_ sometimes. That I am not easy to deal with, and that I might not be the best partner or companion someone could have." I was sensing a 'but' here. "But" _'called it'_ , "ever since you took me in, I've been trying to be a better friend. And I know I am not even close to being one, but… you all are actually the first real family I have."

"Luna…"

She turned to me with watery eyes. "Yet I still feel like I could be doing more. I know now that you will keep your promise." She reached to her chest with one hand. "But I still feel something here. Like… like I'm not good enough or…" She threw her arms in the air. "Argh! I'm not good at this."

I stayed silent for a second, until I pulled her closer with my wingarm in a one armed (one armed? One wingarmed?) hug, surprising her. "You started alright. I give you an 8 out of 10. But you've got it all wrong." Honestly, these little heart-to-heart chats were becoming more of a thing every time. And not just with her. "I get that you want to do something. And that's great, really. But that is precisely what I am worried about. What if I lose one of you because of all of what is happening?" I turned to look at the reflection of the stars in the sea. "I'm not overprotective of my sister for no reason. And ever since we all became this close, I can't help but feel the same towards the rest of you."

"I don't think I could stand losing somebody else." I let out a bitter laugh. "I never thought I would have this many people I would care about in the first place. You are all my friends and family, and I would do anything for any of you. But I can't help but feel that one day I may lose one of you, and that…" I felt her worried gaze on me. "That scares me."

The silence returned after that. I don't think we knew what to say anymore. Not me, at least. It took me a while to realize that, but it was completely true. And-

"I-I like you!"

…

Okay, that took an unexpected turn. Well, maybe not so unexpected but still. My head turned to her. "I know." I stated simply.

"W-what? Since when?" She shook her head and pulled a bit apart from me. "No, wait! If you did, then what didn't you-?!"

"Say anything? Or act on it?" She nodded and I let out a breath. "There are a few reasons, but the main one is that, with all that is happening, I'm not sure it's the best to start something like that." When I looked back at her, I found her almost on the verge of tears. Oh shit. "T-that doesn't mean no!" I said shaking my hands. "If-if I'm being completely honest", _'I can't believe I'm about to say this'_ , "I wouldn't be against trying."

That seemed to have calmed her down. "But not right now. We are planning on taking on the entirety of the Guild, and with all that comes with it, I don't think we can allow ourselves to be distracted like that."

She turned around, her face covered by her long hair as she looked down. "Then when?"

"Hmm." I tapped my chin and turned to her. "How about we give it a try after we deal with the Guild? That would also give us time to think if we really want to do this."

Luna finally looked back at me, determination in her eyes. She was serious about this. "You promise?"

Good luck I was too. "I promise." I snorted. "What? You think someone is going to try and seduce me? Who, Mid? C'mon, we've all seen the looks she sends Icharias. Sum is married and Sarah…" I let out a small growl. I didn't hate her anymore, but that doesn't mean I liked her. I would 'press F to pay respects' (I don't know why Neo kept saying that) if she died, but that's it. "No, just _no_."

I managed to get a small laugh out of her. "Maybe you are right. Plus, who would even compare to me? You know you can't beat _this_." She said, gesturing to her body.

It was my turn to laugh. "That's the Luna we all know and love."

She rested her head on my shoulder as we gazed to the ocean. After a couple of minutes in silence, she spoke. "Thanks for keeping your promise. And for giving me a chance."

I was about to answer when I noticed she had fallen asleep. Great, why was I the official dragon pillow in this family? With a sigh, I slowly leaned backwards, careful not to wake her up until my back touched the sand. She was going to be pissed at her hair being full of sand, but I wasn't going to remain seated only for her to have a pillow to lean on.

And I was also starting to feel like I should ask Summer about this. She was married, after all. She might have some good advice.

After teasing me about it for all that it's worth.

* * *

When I woke up the next morning, I realized I had fallen asleep then and there. With a quick look and a bit of use of my feelers, I could tell nobody was around. I wasn't worried about Grimm sneaking on us – rough wake up, but nothing more – but I _was_ worried about being caught by Summer or my sister. Those two were like predators waiting for me to make a mistake. Not that I was any different with the two of them, but still.

I gave one look at Luna. "Thank the Ancients for small miracles…"

The soft moan from my side confirmed to me that Luna was still completely asleep. I wasn't too sure on what hour it was, but I was hungry, though I couldn't just leave her lying here. I reached with a hand and shook her gently. "Hey, wake up, you lazy princess."

She groaned and got up slowly. Still half asleep, she blinked a couple of times, yawned and then looked at me. It took her about 5 seconds for her eyes to widen like plates and her cheeks turning completely red. She looked around and I reassured her while I tried to contain both my amusement and embarrassment. "Don't worry." I coughed into my hand. "Nobody saw us."

She let out a sigh of relief. "Good. I would never hear the end of it if Yang knew."

"Same with Sum." I replied.

We cleaned ourselves from the sand (I hate sand. It's coarse and rough and blah, blah, blah. You know how it goes) and transformed to fly back to the house. It turned out to be early so most of our friends were still asleep. We took the chance and slipped inside, where I decided to make breakfast. Human food wasn't one of my strengths but I could at least make something edible, which was more than could be said about Luna or my sister.

Seriously, how in all the world do you set fire to _water_?!

Then again, setting fire to mostly everything in a wide area around you is one of the 'perks' of being an Elder that controls fire, I suppose.

After making a few sandwiches (and isn't that a weird name) I settled down on the main table and began eating. It was a bit complicated with my armor but since I couldn't take it off, I just had to deal with it. Though I had never tried before… Meh, save that for later. I sensed Sum opening the front door before I heard her and she stepped inside of the room. With a yawn, she greeted me. "Good morning, Gore."

"Hey, Sum. Are the girls already up?"

She nodded tiredly. "They take it from their father. I am _not_ a morning person, and I'm not ashamed to admit it." She walked into the kitchen and turned on the coffee machine. I don't know why humans adore that drink so much, but I just chalked it up into the list of 'Weird Things Humans Do'.

After she had her drink, she sat down beside me. "Not going to make breakfast for the rest of the family?"

"Shut up. It's Saturday and Tai's gotta learn how to cook." She sipped on her coffee, which I noticed before she had added unholy amounts of sugar. "Plus, the girls can make their own breakfast by now."

I took a bite of my own food. "Not afraid they'll destroy the kitchen?"

"Not if they do not want to bring down my wrath on them." _'Fair enough'_ , I thought. "And we aren't rich, as much as S.A.C.R.E.D. and the hunting missions pay well. They know they have to be careful."

It was then that Luna decided to make her appearance, her usual clothes changed into a long t-shirt with two holes on the back for her wings and shorts. Even if winter was not far away, she always dressed like this inside. Another perk of being a fire dragon. "Hey."

Sum raised her cup with a smile and I waved at her. Sitting down in front of me, she started eating one of the sandwiches I had made. I had already taken into account that she and my sister would eat them, since we had basically agreed to forbid their entrance to the kitchen unless supervised. "So, did you sleep well?" Asked Summer.

She swallowed and her cheeks turned red almost instantly. Luna looked away. "Y-yes."

I barely resisted the urge to facepalm. _'Greeaaat. Not suspicious at all.'_ I told her sarcastically through our link, which only made her even redder and turned to glare at me.

"Good morning." Thankfully, Sum was distracted by my sister coming inside the living room. She then turned to me and Luna with a worried look. "You two took a long time to come back yesterday."

' _Evasive maneuvers!'_ "I was at my spot. Fell asleep then and there." It wasn't a lie, just… omitting some minor details she _definitely_ didn't need to know. She seemed content enough with my answer, now waiting for Luna to answer.

"Umm, I-I didn't find him, so I stayed outside for a while before going in." She returned to her food. "N-not like you have to know what I did, anyways."

My sister raised an eyebrow but let it pass with a shrug. She turned around, and not long after, we could hear the sound of the shower in the background. I breathed an internal sigh of relief afterwards. We fell into a comfortable silence during the rest of the breakfast, with only a few words exchanged after that.

Luna finished eating a while later and left to go to her room, probably to prepare more clothes to show and try with Neo and Yang. That left me and Summer alone in the living room. "By the way," Summer said, pulling out her 'not-a'- you know what, I grown too used to them by now to keep calling them that, so scroll it is, "your sister told me you went out yesterday night, so I decided to search for you." She moved through her scroll while I looked at her in confusion.

Wait...

"Mind explaining this?"

'This' was an image of Luna and I lying asleep on the beach at night, the photo being taken from the forest a few meters behind where we were.

Looking at Sum, I saw her predatory smile and the glint in her eyes.

She knew.

 _Summer Rose knew._

I rose from my seat in a single move and walked away at a calm pace. "Where are you going?" Sum asked confused.

"To take my weapon and stab myself with it."

I was about to reach the door when she blinked in front of me. _'So close!'_ "Uh-hu. Not until we are finished here." Her smile had returned.

"You leave me no choice, then." Quick as I could, I reached for her scroll, but she moved away before I could take it.

"No way! I'm not losing another scroll," her smile become even smugger, " _lover dragon_."

So it began…

* * *

 **/ Dalamadur P.O.V. /**

I gave a hum while I went through the reports that we were going to send to the Council of Vale. We needed to make sure we proved not only the efficiency of the project but also the necessity of it. It shouldn't be too hard, with more Inferiors and Elders appearing, but human politics were always difficult to deal with at the best of times. They were always plagued with greed and personal gain.

Luckily for us, neither Ozpin nor I lacked knowledge in the field, even if mine was a bit more basic. "They have the threat of the Grimm at their doorstep, yet they become even more protective of their Lien when another threat shows itself."

Ozpin sighed. "Such is the way of people when power reaches their heads. Vale is at an economic boom ever since the end of the war, and even with the tragic failure of Mount Glenn, they have more than enough funds to finance our moves. Yet they want proof after all we have done. Power corrupts…"

"And absolute power corrupts absolutely." I finished for him. The situation wasn't bad, but it could be worrying if we didn't prove our usefulness to the Council as Ozpin said.

And so, we continued in silence, the only sound in the room being the enormous clock above our heads. It wasn't that the work itself was difficult, just repetitive. We both had a lot of patience, though, so it was not a problem in any way.

The sound of the elevator coming up reached my ears and, soon enough, the signature _'ding!'_ from the machine marked the arrival of someone else. The doors opened and in came the Headmistress of Beacon, Glynda Goodwitch. Even with me working at Beacon, I had only encountered the woman a few times, but from what Ozpin told me, she was someone in the know about Salem and a great aid in maintaining Beacon.

"Ah, Glynda. Did you need anything?" Ozpin asked with a smile.

I bowed my head a bit. "Miss Goodwitch."

She nodded back. "Daur." She stepped in front of Ozpin and deposited a paper in front of him. "You have to sign this so we can start repairing the training arena after the last… incident."

"Of course." He set aside a few other papers and proceeded to sign the one the Headmistress had given him. "Anything else?"

She pushed her glasses up her nose, taking the paper back. "I must also remind you about your meeting with the head of the SDC in a week about the shipments of Dust for this year."

"I won't forget." She raised an eyebrow. "I promise."

She didn't seem too convinced, but gave up reluctantly. "Gentlemen."

A few seconds later and she was already on her way down. Ozpin spoke. "I would feel much better if we let her in about all of you."

I shook my head. "While I can see why you trust her, I am already taking too many risk with the personnel at the base. It's better if she thinks that project S.A.C.R.E.D. is just an initiative to deal with new and powerful Grimm."

"I understand that, but-."

"Ozpin, I am not like you." I told him before he could continue. "I am not even the leader of the Seven. Respected and second in command, yes, but not the leader. That I allowed so many to know already is something that will most probably get me expelled from the Keepers once it reaches their ears, Daros as well. He doesn't care, and I have already made peace with the fact, but I would rather like to keep it from the public as much as possible. And that includes the faculty of Beacon until I know I can trust them myself."

Ozpin keep his eyes on me for a while longer. "Very well. Shall we continue?"

I nodded and silence reigned once again as we finished the reports.

Or it would have, had not our scrolls rang at the same time.

I was a bit faster in my reaction and answered quickly, noticing it was the number of that mad scientist down at Vanguard base. "Yes, what is it?"

" _The scans have detected four different signatures!"_ I had to lean away from the scroll with a grimace. I was right in front if the device, was it really necessary to scream like that? _"Two of them in Atlas and the other two in Vale's territory! This is unprecedented! Four signatures at the same time! Imagine the power needed behind-!"_

"Doctor, slow down." Ozpin joined in the conversation from his own scroll. "Are you sure about this? We can't afford to send four different teams for then to be a failure on the scans."

Gaster's tone receded, but his conviction was unmoved. _"We have received confirmation from Atlas as well. They have also detected the two massive energy spikes in the area."_ He leaned over to the camera. _"Make no mistake, this is not a system failure or a bug. Four new signatures have entered our world, which means that, at the very least, four new Silver Eyed beings have come to Remnant."_

Left unsaid was the fact that these newcomers were surely hunters, and that they most probably brought Elders or powerful Inferiors with them.

Ozpin and I looked at each other in worry. This could be a great chance for us, but we had to be careful. Ozpin turned back to his scroll. "Have all the recovery and support teams in the base be ready. If this gets out of hand, we might be facing a code Black." His brows furrowed just a bit more, but it was almost as if his entire mood had shifted. "We _cannot_ allow a code Black, doctor."

The scientist's eyes widened at the mention of the worst case scenario, but quickly shifted into what could almost be called a sick smile. _"On that, I agree whole-heartedly. I'll have the teams ready."_ The next words were followed by several of his hands moving behind him, doing Ancients-know what. _"So many new discoveries to be made… for SCIENCE!"_

The call cut off. While I began calling my apprentice, Ozpin stood up and glanced outside the massive window in the office. "Tell Summer to go to the closest signal. I'll tell Qrow and Daros to head to the other one."

I waited for an answer on the scroll. "And the ones at Atlas?"

He didn't turn around to answer. "If Mr. Pendragon and Midnight are up to it, then they will go after one. If not, I'm sure Miss Magala and Miss Luna will be more than enough. As for the last one…" He turned this time, a small smile in his lips. "It's been a while since I've been on the field, and I'm starting to feel rusty."

I smiled myself. "What a coincidence, I feel the same. But what about Beacon?"

"Oh, I'm sure Glynda can handle things for a couple of days." He walked towards the elevator, and I followed. "Besides, I think we need a small rest regarding paperwork."

The next second, the image and voice from my apprentice came from the scroll _. "Hi, Daur. Do you need something?"_

"Ready yourself and call Summer, my apprentice. We have a… situation."

* * *

 **A.N.: the plot** _ **THICC**_ **ens, and we move forward. Neo brings the memes, Sum scores a victory against Gore in their teasing war and Gore and Luna address the problem for now. Also, Gaster gets too excited over new discoveries, even while the rest worry about what is to come.**

 **And yes, I find the name Barufaruku hilarious. Sue me.**

 **As I said, there will be a… interlude? mini-chapter? Dunno, something of the sort after this one with your reviews and an omake.**

 **Also, thank you all for your understanding and support. You guys are amazing. I wouldn't keep writing this if people didn't like it, but you guys are incredible. May our lord and savior Obi-Wan 'Highground' Kenobi, praise be onto him, bless your souls.**

 **Until next chapter!**

 **Have a great Halloween!** _ **Spooky scary skeletons…**_


	36. Omake 1

**A.N.: so here is the small chapter. Funny thing, I actually had the chapter finished by Sunday, but it took way longer than I expected for this to come out.**

 **IMPORTANT WARNING: this is just the reviews and the omake from the previous chapter. If you haven't read it, it is Chapter 33: Stand together. Go read it if you haven't. If you have, then ignore this paragraph.**

 **Omake! This is an idea I had during this month. It is not related to the story, but just something that popped in my mind. It is still a RWBY crossover, though.**

* * *

The general looked outside the bridge's viewport as the ship travelled through hyperspace. It was a sight that he had grown accustomed to a long time ago. It usually meant that, whenever he and his fleet jumped out, they would find an enemy fleet waiting or a planet to subjugate. Maybe an allied world or spaceport to resupply and refuel.

But today was a bit different.

Now, the general wasn't the epitome of happiness. In fact, if you were to ask around the whole galaxy, he would be described with terms like monster, fear, anger, revenge or, in very few cases, justice. However, happiness was _not_ one of those terms.

No, but today was especially frustrating and infuriating. He had been ordered to take his fleet and move away from the frontlines of the war. And that was what had him on such foul mood. "How much more until we reach the system?"

One of the pilot droids in the bridge turned to answer. "We'll exit hyperspace shortly, sir."

' _Finally'_ , he thought. Seated on the center of the bridge, in the main control seat, the general reminisced about what the Count had told him of this mission.

" _One of my acolytes has made an interesting discovery in the Unknown Regions. His fleet has encountered an inhabited planet that hosts people with exceptional powers. They are not capable of leaving their world, but if what the reports say is true, and I am inclined to believe so, then these people might be the weapon that wins us the war, even against the Jedi. I want you to head there immediately and coordinate with him to secure the loyalty of the inhabitants of the planet. With whatever means necessary."_

The general was no fool, and new very well the importance of such claims. If these people were truly a match against fully-fledged Jedi, then they had to make sure they never aligned themselves with the Republic. That, however, is a task that could have been left to another of the admirals or commanders of the Confederacy. He had Jedi to kill, a Republic to burn and armies to decimate.

Yet here he was.

"We are exiting hyperspace now, sir." The droid reported.

True to its words, the _Invisible Hand_ and her accompanying fleet appeared in the designated system. It was a simple one, with only a few planets, a sun and several planetoids. The one that they were after was in the habitability zone, and as they approached, his gaze shifted to the planet. To his surprise, the moon was completely shattered, and instead of falling towards the planet, the shards remained close to the main body.

Gravity defying moons aside, he could already see the fleet of the acolyte the Count mentioned. The main ship was a Lucrehulk-class battleship, though a first glance showed heavy modifications, with extra turbolaser batteries and four strange bulbous protrusions on the upper side of the two bands of the ship. The rest of the fleet was composed of several Munificent frigates, a few Recusants, two supply ships and another unmodified Lucrehulk. It was an invasion fleet alright, albeit one too large for a single planet.

His own fleet was oriented for space combat, with three Providence-class carrier/destroyers, including the _Invisible Hand_ , several Munificents and Recusants and a single Lucrehulk as a way to compensate for the lack of fighters.

The general signaled one of the droids. "Hail them. Let's see if this world is as important as I've been told."

The droid answered with their signature 'Roger, roger' before following the order. A couple of seconds passed and the holoproyector in the bridge activated, showing the image of a young man sitting in a control chair not too different from his own. He was wearing an ornate yet functional white suit accompanied with a cape. "General Grievous, welcome to the Remnant system!" The man greeted him. "I am Aaran Keler. I hope you had a safe journey. Wouldn't want the Republic following us and finding about our little operation, now would we?"

"Enough pleasantries!" He was not in the mood to deal with idiots. "I hope for your own good that you are not wasting my time with this planet, Keler."

The acolyte raised his hands in mock surrender, a smile on his face. "I assure you, general, this planet _will_ win us the war. We just need to-." He was interrupted by one of the droids of his own bridge telling him something Grievous couldn't discern. "It's starting already? Great!" He turned back to the hologram. "I think it will be better if I show you, general. I'll patch you through."

The hologram disappeared and instead, a scree emerged for him to see. It showed the inside of a stadium, full to the brim as they watched 8 people enter the arena in two teams of four. Grievous could hear the crowd cheering and clapping at the eight… teenagers? Upon closer inspection, the general noticed the colorful clothing and the weapons each carried.

Was that a scythe?

"Sit back and enjoy the show, general." The voice of Aaran came from the speakers. "And prepare to be astonished."

Grievous was skeptical on the last part, but he nonetheless relaxed on his seat. If he had come all the way from the battlefield to here, at least he would enjoy a small show. A booming voice came from the stadium speakers. "Welcome, to the Vytal Festival Tournament! For those just joining us, allow us to break down the rules."

The camera shifted to two men, one of them with green hair and glasses, and another with a mustache that the general could swear had eaten the man's mouth and was speaking for him. And so they went to explain how they were about to watch the first round of three, 4v4, of the tournament, and how only skill was relevant, saying something about school year not being important.

And so and so forth. "And now it's time for the terrain to be chosen!"

"Watch closely, general." Aaran spoke.

The screens in the stadium started rotating until they landed on two different symbols, one of fire and one of ice. Suddenly, the outside ring in which the combatants were standing lowered down, coming up divided into two completely opposite landscapes, one of pure fire, and the other a frozen tundra, leaving only a small circle in the middle untouched.

The general had to admit that his curiosity had been peaked. "And now, let the fight between team RWBY, of Beacon, and team ABRN, of Haven, begin!"

The following fight left the general with several questions, but also confirmed the validity of the reports. If this was what unruly, _first year students_ could do, what about fully trained people like them? What about an _army_ of them? A girl only bit taller than half his height wielding a scythe that almost _doubled_ her tiny size, another with exceptional skills with the rapier and the ability to manipulate gravity, ice _and_ who knows what more. The next was capable of leaving some sort of clones or afterimages to escape a hit, and the final one had enough strength to send three people flying several meters with a single punch, aided by some sort of wrist-mounted slugthrower.

When the match ended, that team RWBY earning victory, the screen faded and the hologram of Keler showed itself again, just as the two fleets reached each other behind one of the planets of the system. "Impressed now, general?"

But even then, Grievous knew better than most that Jedi couldn't be taken lightly. "Yes. Your reports made it sound unbelievable, and yet, they were true. I have several questions, but the only one that should matter to you is why haven't you already taken over the planet with your army?"

Aaran chuckled. "If you've read my reports, then you must know that Remnant has a… pest problem, so to speak. They train to fight these creatures, these Grimm. They number in the millions and have pushed the people in this planet to four cities and several small settlements. Not only that, but we _need_ their loyalty, general. If we simply subjugate them, they would revolt the moment the Republic showed its ugly face, maybe sooner."

He leaned aback and crossed his hands. "But there is another reason for me not to attack the planet just yet." He tapped on a few keys by his side and sent a file to the general. "You see, what better way to earn their loyalty than by saving them _and_ putting them on our debt? Open the file I sent you."

Grievous did so, and on his datapad, the image of a rave-haired woman appeared. If he hadn't known beforehand that there were no Force-users as he knew them down there, he might have mistaken her for a Sith with those eyes. "Allow me to present to you Cinder Fall, _supposed_ student from Haven academy, _actual_ schemer with a plan to bring down Beacon. My plan? Let her act, let Vale and Beacon be attacked, and when the time is right…"

" _We_ will strike her down, putting the entire academy and city on our debt." Grievous could see the opportunity here.

"And with enough political pull to sway the remaining three under our control, especially if our droids do a bit of pest control for them." The man was wearing a predatory smile, that of a hunter before an easy prey. "Now, general, how about I enlighten you a bit more on this planet and its people?"

If Grievous could smile, he would do so. "Go ahead."

It would seem that this day had just gotten better.

* * *

 **A.N.: you won't see me starting a new story, don't worry about it. I plan on continuing this one no matter what. This just simply came to mind and had to write it down.**

 **Also, who's watched the new Mandalorian trailer? Damn, it looks awesome.**

 **Reviews! (Hoooo, boy, there's a lot of them)**

 **98kazer: ya know, I actually like this backstory. I will use it, with your permission of course, although I will change a few things and add bit more detail as the story progresses.**

 **gold crown dragon: for a game that started with such a simple concept, it does have a lot of lore behind it.**

 **Kalbario: that's part of the idea, my friend. Also, Michael Bay approves. I won't be giving** _ **every**_ **character a dragon though.**

 **proiu: it will be slow, I simply addressed it here because I found no reason for them to leave the problem festering. At least like this they can focus on the important stuff. And no spoilers on that final part.**

 **brave kid: when life allows me.**

 **RabidArmenian: funny thing, I'm going to watch the new Terminator movie after I write this.  
Omake indeed!  
Eeeeeeeevil! Alexander is not a nice person.  
They have an allowance, don't worry. They're like children with money, at least those two.  
And thanks!**

 **OmegaUltima: Yes, I don't know and no love triangles. Those things complicate things too much, and the angst would be unbearable.**

 **Knightwolf1875: he is like modern day politicians: all for power.**

 **Guest: things start to get complicated. What will happen in the next episode of our lovely series?**

 **JawsOnYou67: oh, they'll be using the Inferiors as attack dogs, just not against the Grimm.  
An Elder is an Elder Dragon in-game, with Inferiors being all the rest. And no, I won't add custom monsters.**

 **Raptorex: wouldn't we all? As I said, he's like most modern day politicians, only scaled up to 20.**

 **guest: One Punch Rajang. Now that's a meme if I ever heard one.**

 **Arbl A-17: I'm glad people get to discover old monsters when they come from World. And yes, hitboxes in MH games are almost on the level of ones of the PvP of Dark Souls 3.**

 **EndlessNameless: probably, and I don't think so, simply to not overcomplicate things.**

 **The Indominator: your own argument doesn't sustain itself. As you said, RECENT information. Information, may remind you, came A LOT LATER than my chapters with Nergigante. Not only that, but (and I can't believe I have to say this) THIS STORY IS NON-CANON, IT WAS ONLY** _ **BASED**_ **AROUND IT. If you want me to call it an AU, then fine, I'm okay with it. But I have already answered this** _ **twice**_ **, and it's starting to piss me off.  
So for the sake of everyone, I'll say it again: I'm not a professional writer, I make mistakes of **_**all**_ **kinds and as far as I am aware,** _ **no one**_ **is forcing you to read this.**

 **AurelLol(x2): nah, don't worry about it. Just hope you enjoy.**

 **Whiterose: I don't want to oversaturate the story with Elder Dragons. If I see the story benefits from it, then maybe.**

 **Runningstar bloodrage: I… don't think I mentioned him** _ **ever**_ **, but if you recall, tell me.**

 **knightofthewintermoon(x2): while I do like the name, I tell you the same I just said to Whiterose: too many characters slow the story down.**

 **Argonian Dovahkiin: maybe you are right, but at this point, I don't think it matters too much.**

 **TheRisingSpoon: glad you like it. I just can't wait for V7.**

 **FlamingMist-GentleWaves: that would be a tad too much, yes. But the idea in itself is awesome. I can imagine it like the cover of a metal album.**

 **Guest: not at all. Who says it can't happen, right?**

 **Whooo. That's all. Who's hyped for V7 here? And I want more RWBY chibi shenanigans.**

 **With that said,**

 **Have a great day!**


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